The Felix Project volunteer Camille McCarthy on the important work the charity does in Enfield and beyond

In a warehouse off the A10, six days a week, a team of dedicated volunteers and staff members are busy moving and packing sacks, trays, and punnets of every variety of fruit, vegetables and foodstuff you could imagine.

Almost every day, they send this food to schools, faith organisations and community centres.

In 2017, The Felix Project charity opened its depot at Great Cambridge Industrial Estate in Edmonton. Since then, the warehouse team has been delivering surplus food to people across North London who need it most.

The Felix Project rescues food from supermarkets, farms, and suppliers that would otherwise be thrown away, and redistributes it to community organisations. The charity thus seeks to combat two problems simultaneously; hunger, and the environmental harms caused by food waste. The warehouse in Enfield is one of four warehouses in the capital run by The Felix Project to fight these issues.

The depot’s work remains as important as ever. In London, foodbank charity Trussell Trust estimates that 17% of households face food insecurity. At the same time, in the UK, around 6.4 million tonnes of edible food is wasted each year – enough to feed the entire country’s population three meals a day for eleven weeks straight.

I started volunteering with Felix after graduating from university. The depot has given me a way get involved with my local community, while helping the environment. When I signed up for my first shift, I expected to find a small operation. But I was amazed when I arrived to see an industrial warehouse with forklifts, and to be donning a high-vis jacket and steel-capped boots.

Most of all, I was struck by the sheer volume of food that risks going to waste, which the charity is able to save. As of 2024 the Enfield depot served 260 community organisations and regularly redistributes tens of tonnes of food each month.

In a single shift, one volunteer can process hundreds of kilos of food, which makes regular depot visits a cheap alternative to a gym membership! There are multiple ways to get involved. As well as volunteer warehouse assistants, there are volunteer drivers and co-drivers who hit the road in Felix’s green vans to deliver food.

Volunteers can also help out at ‘Felix Fresh’ events, pop-up markets where surplus produce is given out for free to local communities.

Team members and volunteers come to The Felix Project for a range of reasons, but it is the people that keep us coming back. Jack, one of the team leaders at the depot, described them fondly as “a big family” that provides “a warming sensation when you come here”.

The depot is currently mid-way through a busy winter season and is keen to welcome new volunteers.

Find out more about getting involved as a volunteer at The Felix Project:
Email [email protected]
Visit thefelixproject.org

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