Words by Smiley Team
A new voluntary organisation has been set up in mere days in London to help feed frontline NHS staff working throughout the capital. Each week, Furloughed Foodies - a non-profit set up in March 2020 whose mission is to feed the NHS, has provided 2,100 meals to staff in twelve hospitals across the capital with the aim of providing even more over the coming weeks.
The idea behind the organisation came when Floris Ten Nijenhuis’ - a ‘Growth & Operations Specialist for start-ups, who quit his job in early March to go travelling to South America, had to cut his travel plans short due the Covid 19 pandemic, and he began starting to cook alone for hospitals in his area. Calling on ex-flatmate and recently furloughed marketeer Chloe Hall to spread the message, they set about forming an organisation that provides healthy and delicious meals to NHS staff.
Speaking to friends working as frontline staff, the pair realised that whilst deliveries of takeaways and raw produce was incredibly helpful, there was a lack of provisions of more ‘normal’ balanced food, which healthcare professionals enjoyed eating day in, day out. Combined with the fact that many staff were unable to visit hospital canteens due to infection control or limited opening hours, the pair believed they could help.
After launching on March 30th, the project had already raised an initial £4,500 however the team have now set a target of raising £25,000 in the hope it will allow them to continue to cook and deliver food to frontline staff for the coming months.
Run entirely by volunteers, the meals - capped at £1.50 a portion - are cooked in home kitchens using fresh ingredients and delivered. Complete with information about allergens & heating instructions to a designated contact at each hospital location ready to be eaten quickly.
Food was initially delivered to doctors just known to Floris but demand increased rapidly and now most pickups are organised through receptionists or from a centralised donation point across the hospital. Floris exclaims ‘We started this initiative to try to make a difference, and in just one week since coming up with the idea we’ve done around twenty deliveries, primarily to A&E and ICU staff. It doesn’t really get much more front line than that!’.
The food is bought for each meal as part of regular shops, meaning no increased exposure to those cooking, and while some volunteers are not professional chefs, all steps are taken to ensure the work is carried out both within the UK’s food safety guidelines and the current advice surrounding COVID-19.
Furloughed Foodies welcomes volunteers and donations at furloughedfoodieslondon.co.uk and would love to be able to continue their work supporting frontline staff.
By Ellen Jones
