ABOUT US
Our STORY
A chance meeting between Crissy Weller and Clare Box at a yoga class on Eel Pie Island, brought together a shared vision in creating a community project that reduced food waste. The café first opened its doors at ETNA Community Centre in June 2018.
Today with a team of over 80 volunteers, the Community Café and food surplus hub is open 3 days a week at ETNA Community Centre; a food surplus hub is open 1 day a week outside Noble Green Wines, Hampton Hill; and 2 days a week at Linden Hall, Hampton, offering a food surplus hub and Takeaway Café. In March 2023, TRJFP opened a Community Café at the Cambrian Community Centre, Grove Road, Richmond and from July 2024 a new community cafe and food surplus hub opened at Ham Youth Centre in Ham.
Since we first opened, TRJFP had fed 84,628 bellies and saved 258 tonnes of food (up to and including September 2024).
Celebrating the Fifth Birthday of
TRJFP-Twickenham in June 2023
Our VISION
Our philosophy is feeding bellies not bins, using food that has been diverted from landfill and turning it into great meals and re-distributing any surplus food in the local community. The café is an open, welcoming space where our visitors can leave their story at the door and sit and chat to one another.
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Our AIMS
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To provide affordable and healthy food to those subject to food poverty, including the homeless, low income families, the elderly and people on their own.
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To provide a warm, non-judgemental space in which people are made to feel welcome and able to pay their way ('pay as you feel').
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To promote links with the local community, by raising the community spirit and bringing people together.
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To educate the public in matters relating to food waste and the impact on the environment.
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To operate on principles of zero food wastage and self-sustainability.
Our team of drivers collect left over food 7 days a week from our partners, restaurants, independent retailers and individuals, including allotment surplus.
Our key partners include Tesco, Waitrose, Marks and Spencer’s, Cavan Bakery, Harris and Hoole, the Co-op and Lidl. Some of the partnerships are brokered through two charities, FareShare and Neighbourly, which allocate food to projects and charities.
The food is used to prepare fresh and healthy meals, and a typical menu will consist of a home-made soup; a choice of main dishes including vegetarian and vegan options; and a dessert. Coffee, tea, smoothies and a wide choice of cakes and sweet pastries are usually available. We never know what the menu will be until we have received all the daily donations, so its always changing from one day to the next.
Any surplus food is redistributed in a number of ways. Our extremely popular food surplus hub enables our visitors to take home food; and, some is taken to other charities and organisations in the local community, including homeless charities.
WHAT WE DO
COMMUNITY HEROES AWARDS
TRJFP won the Richmond upon Thames environmental community heroes awards 2022, which was announced at a celebration event on Tuesday 25 April 2023.
We were also shortlisted for the community group of the year award
Thank you to all our volunteers, funders, and supporters, we could not do it without you
COVID-19 RESPONSE
TRJFP was fully operational throughout the pandemic, redistributing food to other organisations, charities and individuals across the borough and offering a hot food takeaway service. TRJFP worked closely with London Borough of Richmond Officials to ensure we operated to Covid-19 secure guidelines.
During the initial lockdown from March – July 2020, TRJFP
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redistributed 17.7 tonnes of food
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drove 4,590 miles;
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worked up to 7 days per week
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volunteers contributed 709 hours of their time
We are delighted that we are now fully operational serving hot meals with both inside and outside seating at ETNA, East Twickenham every Monday, Wednesday & Friday
COVID-19 RESPONSE
OUR SUPPORTERS
TRJFP-Twickenham are grateful to the support they have received from:
Thank you to the Centre Directors, Managers, Trustees and staff for their support and contribution throughout our journey and welcoming us to be part their communities.
Thank you to the management and staff at Noble Green Wines for allowing us to pitch up on their forecourt each week and enabling us to become part of the vibrant Hampton Hill community.
Hampton Fund, Richmond Parish Lands Charity, LBoRuT Local Area Fund and Cost of Living Fund Fund and National Lottery Community Fund for their financial support.
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FairShare and Neighbourly for coordinating the collections; and to all the shops and individuals who have made donations since we first opened.
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The magnificent team of volunteers, who without, this project could not have been the success it is today.
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Everyone who responds to our shout outs. Thank you for the donations of pans, rugs and jam jars.
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Thank you to Claire Ansell Photography and Trish Gant Photography for the images used on this website.