Arriva Rail London (ARL) has more than doubled its target to deliver 50,000 meals to those in need across the capital. 

Throughout October, ARL teamed up with food charity  City Harvest, which diverts quality food that would otherwise go to waste and redistributes it to those facing food poverty across London.  

With the support of Carlisle Support Services, ARL colleagues inspired the public to donate long shelf-life food items to collection points hosted at 17 London Overground stations. A total of 787 kilograms of food was collected throughout October, equating to 1,874 meals. 

ARL colleagues also volunteered at City Harvest’s Acton headquarters, boxing up rescued food ready for distribution. The 175 hours volunteered equated to 92,750 meals. Fundraising efforts resulted in a further 5,620 meals, bringing ARL’s total to 100,267 meals.  

The partnership stemmed from the efforts of ARL customer host, David Cranstoun, and customer experience strategy delivery manager, Pauline Lawler, who nominated City Harvest in 2023 to receive a one-off donation from the company’s charity scheme.  

David Cranstoun, customer host at Arriva Rail London, said: “I am overwhelmed by the incredible efforts of our colleagues. From our fantastic station teams collecting donations to our executive team volunteering at City Harvest’s warehouse, it has been amazing to see the impact we can have when we come together for a worthy cause.”  

Goldie Leoppky, food sourcing manager at City Harvest, said: “We are incredibly grateful for the support of the Arriva Rail London team this City Harvest Festival 2024. With one in four Londoners facing food poverty this winter, support with free food from our London community is more vital than ever. A combination of 787 kilograms of food donations from 17 London Overground stations, and a total of 175 hours volunteered by the ARL team has significantly contributed to tackling food poverty on our doorstep. Thank you.” 

Shivani Hill, head of environment, social value and governance at Arriva Rail London, said: “I would like to say a huge thank you to Carlisle Support Services for their help with this partnership. With their support, we were able to overcome logistical challenges and ensure that donations collected at all 17 stations reached City Harvest. Working together, we have made a tangible difference in the lives of many.” 

David Cranstoun, ARL customer host