How waste food helps families through the week

Food that would otherwise be thrown away by supermarkets is helping to feed hundreds of families and schoolchildren through a community meal scheme.

Charity FoodCycle said its programme turns surplus supermarket produce into free meals and groceries for families, helping to cut waste while easing household costs.

Among the schools taking part is Ark Tindal Academy in Balsall Heath, Birmingham, where families go to a weekly community meal and children take part in activities before dinner is served.

Families are given a free vegetarian meal as well as groceries to take home.

"It's a free meal in the week, and then they get a bag of groceries to take home with them, which some parents have said has been really helpful," said FoodCycle's Sophie Aoun.

She said the meals were also designed to introduce children to a wider range of fruit and vegetables.

Teacher Amy Henderson, from the academy, said the scheme had helped ease pressure on families facing rising household bills.

"With the cost of living, we know how expensive things are today, and it really does take pressure off the families," she said.

"It's really heart-warming to know that they have had a good meal."

Henderson said the sessions also helped parents, children, school staff and volunteers build relationships.

"It's a really lovely social event," she added.

FoodCycle collects surplus produce from supermarkets and uses it to prepare meals and provide groceries for families.

The initiative runs at schools across the West Midlands including Windsor Olympic Academy in Birmingham and Goldsmiths Primary Academy in Walsall.

"Our hope is that by turning surplus food into these free community meals we're doing more than just filling plates for an evening," Aoun said.

Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.