Food & Friendship Lunch Clubs thrive with the help of the Coronation Food Project

In Hove, East Sussex, local charity Food & Friendship is transforming lives for older people and adults with learning disabilities through support from King Charles III Charitable Fund (KCCF) and the Coronation Food Project.

For more than a decade, Food & Friendship has bought people together by providing affordable meals and community lunch clubs, that bring people together in a warm and welcoming environment. The charity’s mission is to ensure that vulnerable residents can access nutritious food while building meaningful social connections that improve mental health and wellbeing and reduce isolation. 

Since 2024, support from the Coronation Food Project, in partnership with FareShare and other food redistribution organisations, has enabled Food & Friendship to rescue more than 17 tonnes of surplus food and serve an additional 12,000 meals to local people. This funding has helped the charity expand its much-loved twice-weekly lunch clubs, ensuring that more people can enjoy not only healthy, affordable meals but also the warmth of friendship and community. 

During a recent volunteering visit, KCCF Executive Director, Nikki Jeffery, saw first-hand the positive difference the lunch clubs make. While access to nutritious food remains at the heart of the service, the impact goes much further. The clubs provide a welcoming and inclusive space where people can connect with others, build friendships and feel part of a supportive community. 

Find out more about The Coronation Food Project and the work of Food and Friendship.