Boosting Sustainability and Expanding Donor Outreach

We’ve made a significant step toward sustainability by upgrading our previous seven-year-old Ford Transit van. The new addition to our fleet, the Ford Transit Leader Van 350 L2 equipped with a 68 kWh battery, signifies our decision to improve our green credentials.

Maggie Pavlou, a trustee from The People’s Kitchen, said, “Our decision to invest in a newer, eco-friendly van was prompted by the introduction of Clean Air Zone regulations in Newcastle City Centre. Unfortunately, our 2016 Ford Transit no longer complied with the regulations, and we thought it was best to upgrade and move towards becoming cleaner and more environmentally friendly”.

With this latest upgrade, we can collect more donations from supermarkets, schools, and churches, moving the goods between our main warehouse and the kitchen with less emissions. Our volunteer drivers work relentlessly Monday to Friday and travel across the whole Northeast region. The new electric vehicle ensures that their meaningful work can continue in a carbon-free way. The van has arrived just in time for two of our busiest periods, with preparations already underway for both the October Harvest festival and their “Feed a Friend for a Fiver” Christmas campaign.

Through the combined support of their corporate and individual donors, The People’s Kitchen was able to collect an impressive £65,570.76 to purchase this latest upgrade. It’s heartwarming to see the North East community coming together to help those who need it most and make a meaningful contribution to society.