The London Food Insecurity Network steps up to tackle holiday hunger

Despite claims by economists that the UK’s cost-of-living crisis may be easing*, the stark reality is that thousands of Londoners are still struggling to access nutritious food.

Published: 16/09/2025

As children across London return to school this September, the lasting impact of the summer holidays will still be felt by many families, especially those who went weeks without access to free school meals they rely on.

Research by The Felix Project revealed that over two-thirds (67%) of teachers in England feared that at least one child in their class would experience hunger over the summer. This could be as many as 675,000 children nationwide.  

In response, The London Food Insecurity Network (LFIN), a growing coalition of housing, community, and voluntary organisations, has been working to ensure that no social housing resident in the capital goes to bed hungry. As well as doing their bit to help holiday hunger, the LFIN has released a report highlighting how to continue to help all year round.

Summer support in action

Non-profit housing association Peabody, a founding member of LFIN alongside the Housing Associations’ Charitable Trust (HACT) and The Felix Project, delivered summer programmes across its estates. Many of these include free lunches for children, as well as activity clubs offering everything from sports to arts and crafts. 

Meanwhile, The Felix Project, which delivers food to 170 schools weekly during term time has been supplying larger deliveries to 28 schools which remained open during the break, as well as providing hundreds of tonnes of additional food to many new and existing sites. 

During the winter, LFIN members and partners organised 63 community food markets and shared 35,000kg of food (the equivalent of around 84,900 meals). The programme proved so successful that some partners extended this into the summer. The Felix Project and Clarion Futures collaborated to run school holiday and summer food markets, providing much-needed support to families facing holiday hunger and using these as a catalyst for wider community engagement.

A new Impact Report

These summer efforts reflect the Network’s commitment to year-round action; a theme explored in more detail in its new LFIN Impact Report. which was released in June. 

The report highlights the need for organisations across sectors including housing associations, members of the food industry, charities and other partners to work more closely together to tackle food insecurity in London.  By sharing resources, ideas and knowledge, they can have a greater impact and reach more people in need.

It also includes real-life examples of projects already making a difference, such as Cook for Change, a fully subsidised programme developed by Cook for Good, in partnership with Peabody and supported by the Fusion21 Foundation and Wates Family Enterprise Trust. It aims to help social entrepreneurs develop food based social enterprises, and includes a three-day bootcamp, pitch and business plan masterclasses, a showcase event and ongoing support. 

From food markets to cooking hubs in the community, the report emphasizes the importance of non-stigmatising, inclusive spaces where residents can access nourishing, culturally appropriate food, as well as other vital support and the chance to connect with others in the community.

The report highlighted these findings by the Food Foundation

• An estimated 7.3 million adults were affected by food insecurity across the UK in January 2025
• 5% of households reported not eating for a whole day
• Food-insecure families were more likely to cut back on healthy foods like fruit and vegetables.
• Free school meals are not reaching all who need them: for households with children not on Free School Meals, the latest survey found that one in nine (12 percent) had smaller meals or skipped meals because they couldn’t afford or access enough food.

Separate research by Trust for London, which shows that pay that inequality in London is significantly higher in London than in England as a whole. In London, the 20 percent highest paid earn nearly 2.5 times more per hour than the 20 percent lowest paid. In England, the figure is 1.59 times.

Looking ahead 

Over the next 12 months, the Network aims to explore ways to help tackle the deeper issues behind food poverty.

They plan to create a food insecurity toolkit for the housing sector to share the Network’s methods and learnings as a reliable resource for them and find gaps where help is missing so they can be filled. 

Plans also include continuing to share ideas and good practice and exploring the potential for similar Networks in other towns and cities across the UK.

Sector-wide support

To mark the launch of the report, a panel discussion took place at Peabody’s London headquarters, featuring speakers from HACT, The Felix Project, Feeding Britain, MTVH, St Giles, and others. Attendees included representatives from local authorities, housing associations, and charities, all united by a shared commitment to help people experiencing hunger across the capital.

Rebecca Rieley, Head of Communities and Projects at HACT, said: "The event was a fantastic opportunity to reflect on the progress we’ve made over the past year and to share ideas about how we can continue working together to tackle food insecurity in the year ahead.

"The Felix Project continues to increase their impact with the latest initiative to redirect surplus farm produce directly into communities. Our panel discussion delivered examples and inspiration of the work being done in and outside London to not only tackle food insecurity but do so sustainably through community driven support."   

Sahil Khan, Director of Community Strategy, Partnerships & Funding said: "The London Food Insecurity Network was created to challenge the idea that food poverty is inevitable. In just two years, we’ve mobilised over 30 housing associations, voluntary and community organisations.

"We've also delivered enough food for 84,900 meals and supported 63 community-led events that go far beyond food in the past 12 months. 

"They build trust, connection, and resilience. This year’s report shows that when we act collectively, we can shift from crisis response to long-term change. I’m proud to be part of a movement that’s not just feeding people, but empowering communities to find collective solutions."

David Adams, Head of Service at St Giles said: “It was a real privilege to take part in the panel discussions and to hear from others working so passionately across the Network. The conversation reaffirmed the power of collaboration not just between organisations, but with the communities we serve. As a Network, our next step is to move beyond provision and shape long-term, place-based solutions that tackle the root causes of food insecurity and poverty. Cross-sector collaboration and deep community engagement will be key to driving sustainable change and influencing policy at every level.”

Andrew Forsey OBE, National Director at Feeding Britain said: “Addressing food insecurity is critical to supporting individuals and communities to thrive. The constant threat of hunger not only damages people’s physical health but also affects their wider quality of life. That’s why collaboration between organisations to develop creative solutions is so important. We all have opportunities ahead, both to reform grassroots practice and also to feed into policy reviews that will re-shape the UK’s response to food insecurity, and I look forward to supporting the London Food Insecurity Network’s work on both fronts.”
 
Lesley Watson, Community Impact Regional Manager at MTVH said: “It was a pleasure to be part of the London Food Insecurity Network (LFIN) panel discussion, there is such great work happening across the sector to support what is becoming a wider issue for many people. I personally am an advocate of social eating where people can some together to share a meal and connect. At MTVH we witnessed first hand the benefit and need for social connection in tackling food insecurity. Spending time with others helps alleviate the isolation and loneliness that often accompanies food insecurity. It is important that as a sector we continue to collaborate and push the boundaries of what is possible and continue to play our part in what should be a fundamental right – everyone having access to affordable nutritious food.”

Read the London Food Insecurity Network Impact and Learning Report 2025 

More housing associations and supporters are encouraged to join the Network. To discuss how you can get involved contact Rebecca Rieley at HACT.

*Economists say the cost of living crisis is over - here's why many households disagree - Sky News