Sir Peter Rigby Coronation Food Hub opens in Birmingham
- Environment
- Health and Wellbeing
- Social Inclusion
We were delighted to celebrate the opening of the new Sir Peter Rigby Coronation Food Hub in Birmingham earlier this week—an inspiring step forward in the fight against food poverty and unemployment across the region.
The Hub is part of the Coronation Food Project and has been made possible thanks to generous support from Sir Peter Rigby’s Charitable Trust.
The new facility is dedicated both to food redistribution and to providing skills development opportunities. It will be operated by FareShare Midlands, which already redistributes surplus food to 650 charities, community groups and schools across the region – helping to feed around 60,000 people every week.
With the launch of the Hub, charitable food redistribution capacity in Birmingham will double. Over the next three years, this will mean 7 million meals distributed and 30,000 people supported. But the impact will extend far beyond food. The Hub will also provide training in warehousing, catering, and technology, supporting 500 people each year into sustainable employment. This work comes at a critical moment. In Birmingham today, one in two children lives in poverty, and one in five young adults aged 18–25 is unemployed.
Simone Connolly, FareShare Midlands CEO, said:
The Coronation Food Hub represents a powerful step forward in tackling food poverty and unemployment across Birmingham. This cutting-edge facility will not only enable FareShare Midlands to redistribute substantially more surplus food to those who need it most, but also help break the cycle of poverty through training and employment opportunities for local people. We are incredibly grateful to Sir Peter Rigby and his Charitable Trust for the generous support and commitment to creating lasting change.
Sir Peter Rigby reflected on the importance of the project:
I was deeply shocked and saddened to learn that nearly half of Birmingham’s children live in poverty, with many having very limited access to regular nutritious meals. My decision to support the new Coronation Food Hub reflects my commitment to ensuring that local families don’t go hungry.
By working in collaboration with FareShare Midlands and local community groups, we aim to reduce food waste and address the root causes of poverty in our region.
I have always believed that success in business should go hand in hand with giving back. I came from a humble background, and I am very aware that not everyone is fortunate enough to have a good start in life. Never before has it been as tough to feed families as it is now due to the cost-of-living crisis. I am honoured to be part of the King’s fantastic initiative that will directly support my local community and reduce food poverty across the region.
Everyone at the Coronation Food Project is deeply grateful for Sir Peter’s support, and we were proud to recognise this commitment at the opening of the Sir Peter Rigby Coronation Food Hub.
About the Coronation Food Project
The Coronation Food Project was created to rethink how food moves through the UK supply chain and to significantly reduce waste. By collaborating closely with the food industry, the project aims to solve two urgent challenges at once: cutting waste and tackling hunger.
