News / Food poverty
UWE Bristol students help combat food poverty
Two UWE Bristol students are crowdfunding to reduce food poverty in Bristol.
The Free Meal Project was created in January 2021 by Christopher Dalingwater and Arshia Varziry, with just £150 and all donations to go towards food and packaging.
“We are so passionate about this project because we believe that nobody should go to bed at night hungry or worrying about where their next meal will come from, especially in a country like ours,” says, Christopher, who is studying business management.
is needed now More than ever
The pair set up a JustGiving page in the hopes of raising £500, but have so far managed to raise more than £1,000. So far, Christopher and Arshia have used £450 of the donations to buy and deliver food to food banks in Bristol.
Each box costs around £21 and are assembled to the specific needs of each food bank, for places such as the North Bristol Food Bank on Filton Avenue, and East & South Food Bank at Fishponds Baptist Church.
Co-founder Arshia pictured with donations for Bristol food banks. Photo: Effective Communication
“Marcus Rashford’s campaign opened our eyes to the thousands of children, and adults, who go hungry every single day,” says Arshia, who studies Banking and Finance. “We felt that if we were able to help, then we wanted to and we should.”
The national campaign by English football player Marcus Rashford began in the second lockdown, raising money to give vulnerable school children food who were no longer receiving free school meals.
Alongside their university studies, Arshia and Christopher are hoping to eventually deliver to food banks on the outskirts of Bristol.
“We are looking forward to expanding the project soon with the help of Enactus, an entrepreneurial action programme in UWE who have 70,000 members across the UK,” Christopher says. “We’re excited to continue to grow and develop as the future is bright for this project.”
Main photo: Effective Communication
Read more: Bristol’s emergency food operation extended as needs soar
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