It is currently serving 15 NHS organisations, but has decided to diversify its efforts and extend services to both homeless shelters and food banks.
The founders of the group, Floris Ten Nijenhuis and Chloe Hall, said they had become aware that many across London were struggling and thanks to the more than 350 volunteers now on the books, they realised this was an area they could make a ‘huge positive and practical difference’.
Since launch the project has already been able to raise an initial £10,000, but to continue and support this expanded group of Londoners the team have now set a target of raising £25,000 to allow them to continue their work.
The focus of the project is in delivering healthy and delicious lunches and dinners to fuel people through this crisis. The food is cooked by volunteers in home kitchens and delivered to a designated contact in each location. With each meal capped at £1.50 per portion, made from fresh ingredients, and ready to be eaten quickly and easily.
As a concept Furloughed Foodies started when founders Ten Nijenhuis’s South America travel plans were cut short because of the coronavirus pandemic. He started to cook alone for hospitals before calling on recently furloughed marketer Chloe Hall to help spread the message.
They say they quickly found that while deliveries of takeaways and raw produce were helpful, provisions of more ‘normal’ balanced food, which healthcare professionals would be happy to eat day in day out, was limited.
And many working on Covid-19 wards were often unable to visit the hospital canteens due to infection control, so the pair identified an issue they believed they could offer a solution to and Furloughed Foodies was born.
“We started this initiative to try to make a difference. Helping both NHS teams and those in need across London with healthy home cooked food allows us to do this,” said Ten Nijenhuis.
“We are lucky to have had a huge number of volunteers who have signed up, which has allowed us to modify our plans, listen to where our support is needed and take on more to feed more people.”
Hall added: “The feedback we have received so far from NHS staff has been incredible, and what really gets us going on our group chat is the photos of smiling front line workers but we want to ensure no one goes hungry through this period if we can help it.
“So, we really want to call on the public for more donations so that we can support both our NHS heroes and our capitals more vulnerable until the end of this struggle.”
To donate or volunteer visit: www.furloughedfoodies.co.uk.