Established in 2014, the Bow Food Bank charity operates two independent food banks in Bow and Bethnal Green providing food and emergency items to people in crisis in Tower Hamlets. Since it was founded, food insecurity has risen dramatically. The percentage of people in food-insecure households was 11% (7.2 million people including 30% of children) in 2022/23, according to the DWP (Households Below Average Income survey). Last year Bow Food Bank provided food parcels for over 800 adults and over 1,000 children every week.
Fishmongers is funding Bow Food Bank to build a procurement platform to purchase and provide ambient (long life) food to small organisations in the Tower Hamlets Food Coalition. They hope to cut costs for partners by 40%, achieving £500,000 of savings over three years helping the Coalition feed more people in the face of rising food costs.
Joanna Read, Bow Food Bank’s CEO said “[Fishmongers’] grant transformed what started as a back-office support project into a broader, strategic rethink of food aid in East London. Fishmongers’ backing allowed us to think strategically about food aid and build partnerships we never expected.”
Learn more about the charity here.
© The Fishmongers’ Company 2024
