Meghan Markle endorses Help The Hungry campaign

Duchess is long-running supporter of Hubb community kitchen which is now helping to provide meals in response to epidemic

The Duchess of Sussex today backed The Independent’s “moving” appeal to raise funds for the delivery of food to poor, elderly and vulnerable Londoners during the coronavirus epidemic.

Meghan’s support for our Help The Hungry appeal, in conjunction with the Evening Standard, came as the community kitchen close to Grenfell Tower that she supports unveiled a new meals delivery service for families struggling to feed themselves during the lockdown. The initiative will be launched on Monday when the Hubb Community Kitchen plans to start cooking between 250 and 300 meals a day, three days a week.

The scheme follows a Zoom conference call last week, when the duchess talked to women involved in running the kitchen about how they could adapt their service to feed people at a time when social-distancing rules prevent it from opening as normal. Much of the produce will be supplied by The Independent’s charity partner The Felix Project which sources surplus food from cafes, restaurants and supermarkets.

Meghan said: “The spirit of the Hubb Community Kitchen has always been one of caring, giving back and helping those in need, initially in Grenfell and now throughout the UK. A home-cooked meal from one neighbour to another, when they need it most, is what community is all about.”

“I’m so proud of the women of the Hubb Community Kitchen, and the continued support The Felix Project gives them to carry out these acts of goodwill, which at this moment are urgently needed. I’m equally moved by the many people who are contributing to campaign to raise money for these vital organisations in the wake of Covid-19.”

The meals will be prepared in the cooks’ homes and delivered by another charity, StreetGames, which runs the Fit And Fed campaign that aims to provide nutritious meals for children at risk of going hungry during the school holidays.

The Duke of Sussex, who saw the charity’s work during a visit to one of its centres in Streatham last year, put it in touch with the kitchen.

Harry and Meghan on Thursday completed two days of volunteering with Project Angel Food in California, helping to deliver food parcels to people in need.

The Hubb Community Kitchen was set up in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower disaster in June 2017, when a group of local women gathered in a communal kitchen at the Al-Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre.

The duchess first visited it in January 2018 and has continued to make regular private visits. She wrote the foreword for Together, a collection of the women’s own personal recipes from across Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and the eastern Mediterranean.

Those on the Zoom call were kitchen manager Leila Hedjem, as well as cooks Cherine Mallah, Halima Al-Hudafi, Oxana Sinitsyna and Jennifer Odonkor.

Other cooks involved with the kitchen include Intalak Alsaiegh, Faiza Bellini, Jaipreet Bharj, Munira Mahmud, Ahlam Saeid, Lillian Olwa and Dayo Gilmore.

Last year, Felix made 48 deliveries to the kitchen, enough for more than 43,000 meals, and this year it has delivered eight times, equivalent to 5,000 meals. Mark Curtin, Felix’s chief executive, said: “The women of Hubb Community Kitchen have stepped up yet again in the face of a global pandemic.

“We stand together with all of our partners to get food to people most at risk of experiencing hunger and malnutrition in this time of need.”

Evgeny Lebedev, a shareholder in The Independent, said: “It is a pleasure to have the backing of the Duchess of Sussex for our campaign. Her support for the survivors of the Grenfell fire is truly admirable. Our campaign will continue to support the Hubb Community Kitchen, along with so many other essential community organisations at this time. This is a crisis, and I am grateful for Meghan’s endorsement.”

The Independent is encouraging readers to help groups that are trying to feed the hungry across the country – find out how you can help by clicking here. Or Follow this link to donate to our campaign in London, in partnership with the Evening Standard.