Wandsworth Community Food Bus (London Borough of Wandsworth)
The Food Bus is a refurbished bus that acts as a travelling supermarket selling affordable, high-quality, healthy surplus food in Wandsworth. It is a collaboration with Be Enriched, Feeding Britain, Wandsworth Council and Jan Kattein Architects
The bus visits four sites across the borough each week that are in, or close to, designated ‘food deserts’. These are areas which either have no shops selling nutritious, affordable food or have a high density of outlets selling very unhealthy food only.
Project status: Completed November 2021
Project value: £270,063 (£120,950 Good Growth Fund)
Funding programme: Good Growth Fund
Project start date: April 2018
Project end date: January 2021
Project keywords: creative reuse, community spaces, public realm, health and wellbeing, work space, social infrastructure
A partnership delivering for the community
The project aims to grant immediate financial relief for households on low incomes, to improve their longer-term financial security and resilience, and to reduce the numbers of households on low incomes who are without access to healthy, affordable food. It is supported by the Wandsworth Food Partnership that represents food banks, the council and other local food initiatives.
The downstairs functions as a supermarket offering goods at a discounted rate, the upper deck features a comfortable lounge for people to access additional support and training. The bus was fitted with a fully functioning kitchen, hot and cold running water, food storage and display cabinets, air source heating and cooling, solar powered refrigeration, lighting and 5G internet.
The recipient developed links with local community organisations in Roehampton, Tooting and North Battersea who work in the fields of elder support, faith groups, schools and mental health.
Delivering a fairer and more prosperous city
The Food Bus project created the following local training and employment opportunities:
- 1186 volunteer days. This was contributed to by 90 volunteers, each working 3 months
- 4 new jobs
The project encouraged London’s diverse communities to come together:
- 124 regular weekly customers
- 127 cultural events have taken place
- 32 square metres low-cost community space created
- 209 vulnerable people supported to live independently
Project team
Delivery partner: Feeding Britain, Wandsworth Food Partnership
Project partners and principal co-funders: Be Enriched, DWS, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, Sarah Dent, L&Q and Mercers’ Charitable Foundation
Local authority: Wandsworth Council
Architect: Jan Kattein Architects
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