Who are we?

Be Enriched is a charity aiming to bring people together. We use food as one way to do this and we cook our meals mainly thanks to food surplus. And what we don't use to cook on the day is redistributed to our guests. A big part of our action is about running three canteens in South London, each one delivering a two-course meal a week thanks to the help of dedicated volunteers. Each week, about 50 people come to share a moment with us in one of our canteens.

As a small charity, every penny matters to enable us bringing the local community together around food and being able to keep delivering free weekly meals in our three canteens (Graveney/Tooting, Battersea, Elephant & Castle).

What's our project?

We are small and ambitious and we want to make our impact on the local community grow with us. That's why our aim this Summer is to feed 400 people in South London.

And this will not be possible without YOUR help. Even if the meals are mainly prepared from food surplus, each meal costs us about £7 per person. Just about the price of two coffees for you. A world for our guests.

The canteens are not just about feeding empty stomachs for one lunch or one dinner a week. It is about bringing people from different backgrounds together. This is not only the need to eat, but the need to have human contact, the need to have someone listen to you. The need to go to a friendly and peaceful place where you can to spend some time.

A HUGE thank you to everyone for supporting us – please donate!

Who are our guests?

"I think really the main thing was actually being welcomed and people being kind and appreciating, and not being ignored. It was really welcoming and it was really nice. Actually, I didn’t want to go home that first day." - Lady, late 50's

"Look, when you’re on, when you’re forced to live on benefits a teeny amount per week just getting out of the house and the way from temptation of putting the television on during the day." - Man, mid-40's

"It’s something that allows us to come in off the streets and participate in meeting each other rather than in a night-time setting and we can interact with each other and we can have something to eat." - Man, mid-50's

How is it like to volunteer at one of our canteens?

"I learned a huge amount from my time with The Graveney Canteen. I worked independently and in a team, developed my cooking skills, gained a real appreciation of how much of a need there is for projects like the Canteen and genuinely saw the many benefits it brings to individuals and the community. I am grateful to those who made me feel so welcome and feel inspired by the people that organise and run the Canteen every week."

Read more about James' experience here.

Please pledge now!