FoodCycle delivers £4.2m in measurable social value from £2.0m investment

In 2024, FoodCycle transformed 320 tonnes of surplus food into 162,991 community meals across 102 projects, reaching 28,400 unique guests and delivering validated health, social, and environmental outcomes worth £4 for every £1 invested.

94

Overall Impact Score

⚠️

Strategic Alert: Cash Reserve Runway

Current reserves at 4.8 months vs 6-month target. 3 major grant applications pending (£480k total) — decisions due June-August. Recommend accelerating corporate partnership renewals and trust applications for Q3/Q4.

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Strategic Opportunity: School Programme Expansion

3-school pilot delivered 2,633 meals with 89% of children trying new foods. Sainsbury's funding secured for 8 additional schools. Projected impact: +15,000 meals/year, +£120k annual revenue, reaching 1,200+ children.

Meals Served

163k

↑ 30% YoY

Lives Reached

28,400

↑ 27% YoY

Social ROI

£4:£1

Sector Leading

CO₂ Avoided

960t

↑ 12% YoY

Volunteer Hours

163k

↑ 22% YoY

Guest Wellbeing Impact — British Nutrition Foundation Validated

Evidence-based outcomes from 2024 guest survey (n=2,847)

83%

Feel happier after attending FoodCycle meals

91%

Met people from different backgrounds

76%

Eating more fruit & vegetables since attending

73%

Feel they're making positive environmental impact

Monthly Growth Trajectory

Meals served 2024 vs 2023 (30% YoY increase)

Social Return on Investment

£4.2m total social value created from £2.0m investment

UN Sustainable Development Goals Alignment

FoodCycle directly contributes to 6 of the UN's 17 Global Goals

1

No Poverty

✓ Active

2

Zero Hunger

✓ Active

3

Good Health

✓ Active

10

Reduced Inequalities

✓ Active

12

Responsible Consumption

✓ Active

13

Climate Action

✓ Active

Measurable Behavioral Change — British Nutrition Foundation Report

Evidence from "Your Place at the Table" study commissioned 2024

71%

Tried or bought fruit/veg they wouldn't normally eat

70%

Positively changed their eating habits since attending

50%

Eating more plant sources of protein (pulses, beans)

49%

Eating less sweets and sugary foods

Equipment Access Gap — Why FoodCycle Matters

Guest survey reveals basic cooking equipment unavailable to many

School Programme Impact — Pilot Results 2024

3 schools (Ark John Archer, Ark Globe, Ark White City) — 2,633 meals served

Children Reached

850+

Across 3 schools

Tried New Foods

89%

Adventurous eating

Food Waste Reduced

76%

Of families

School Connection

75%

Feel more connected

Food Saved

5t

From landfill

Theory of Change — How FoodCycle Creates Impact

The logic model connecting inputs to measurable social outcomes

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Inputs

Surplus Food

320t

→

👨‍🍳

Activities

Volunteers Cook

8,770

→

🍽️

Outputs

Meals Served

163k

→

😊

Outcomes

Lives Changed

28.4k

→

💎

Impact

Social Value

£4.2m

Impact Pathway — From Food Waste to Community Transformation

Validated outcomes across health, social, and environmental domains

IF we collect surplus food from supermarkets, markets, and local shops (320 tonnes/year)

AND IF volunteers transform this into nutritious vegetarian meals (8,770 volunteers, 163k hours)

AND IF we serve these meals in welcoming community spaces (102 projects across England & Wales)

THEN guests will eat healthier (76% eating more fruit & veg), feel less lonely (78% reduction), and connect across backgrounds (91%)

SO THAT we create £4.2m in measurable social value: improved health (£1.8m), reduced isolation (£1.2m), environmental impact (£0.8m)

Project Performance Matrix — 102 Community Meal Locations

Operational intelligence across all projects with efficiency benchmarking

Thriving Projects

67

>80% capacity

Underutilized

21

<60% capacity

Average Cost/Meal

£2.14

↓ £0.12 YoY

Avg Meals/Week

31

Per project

New Projects 2024

20

Including 3 schools

Project	Meals/Week	Volunteers	Capacity	Cost/Meal	Status
Brixton Hub London, SW2	85	12	94%	£1.80	Thriving
Manchester Central Manchester, M1	78	10	91%	£1.95	Thriving
Bristol West Bristol, BS3	68	6	88%	£3.20	High Cost
Leeds Central Leeds, LS1	42	8	58%	£2.40	Underutilized
Birmingham North Birmingham, B6	72	11	85%	£1.85	Thriving
Ark John Archer (School) Clapham, London	22	6	76%	£2.05	Pilot Success

People Analytics — Volunteers & Guests

8,770 volunteers donated 162,810 hours to serve 28,400 unique guests

Total Volunteers

8,770

↑ 22% YoY

Retention Rate

78%

12-month

Avg Hours/Volunteer

18.5

Per year

New Recruits

2,394

Target: 3,000

Meals/Vol Hour

18.6

Efficiency

Volunteer Recruitment Funnel

2024 conversion: 57% from interest to active

Volunteer Hours by Region

Total: 162,810 hours donated

Environmental Impact & Sustainability

320 tonnes of food saved = 960 tonnes CO₂ avoided = 208 cars off roads for a year

Food Rescued

320t

↑ 35t YoY

CO₂ Avoided

960t

3kg per kg food

Meals/Tonne

510

↑ 8% efficiency

Food Utilization

92%

8% waste

Lifetime Meals

3.5m

Since 2009

Food Sources Partnership Mix

320 tonnes rescued from diverse supply partners

Financial Sustainability & Social Return on Investment

£2.0m income, £2.15m expenditure — creating £4.2m in measurable social value

Total Income

£1.85m

-7.5% vs budget

Expenditure

£2.15m

Under budget

Cost per Meal

£2.14

↓ £0.12

Charitable Spend

68%

On programmes

Cash Reserves

£1.04m

4.8mo runway

Expenditure Allocation — £2.15m Total

88% spent on charitable activities and fundraising