Haymarket announces local charity partner

Haymarket Media Group has announced The Real Junk Food Project Twickenham as its new local UK charity partner. The partnership supports their mission of diverting food from landfill, turning it into nutritious meals, and redistributing surplus food to those in need, including the homeless, low-income families, refugees, the elderly, and individuals living in isolation who crave company.

Haymarket says The Real Just Food Project Twickenham was chosen following an employee vote by the company’s UK offices. The partnership will provide various volunteering and fundraising opportunities including helping with food collections, food prep and serving in the community cafés and surplus food hubs, alongside various office fundraising events.

Since its launch in 2018, Haymarket says The Real Junk Food Project Twickenham has made a significant impact by serving meals to 66,000 people and rescuing more than 200 tonnes of excess food. With the support of its volunteers, their Community Cafés and food surplus hubs are driven by a strong commitment to community spirit.

Part of The Real Junk Food Project’s strong principles of zero food waste and self-sustainability is focused on educating the public and spreading awareness of the impact of surplus waste on the environment. The partnership supports Haymarket's Impact agenda and its commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including Climate Action, Quality Education and Partnerships for the Goals.

Celia MacMillan, director of people & communications at Haymarket said: “The decision to support The Real Junk Food Project Twickenham was an easy one because it was the clear favourite when it came to our employee vote. There is a lot of interest amongst our teams who are eager to get involved with the volunteering and fundraising opportunities in the local community.

“This partnership not only aligns with our Impact mission of shaping a better future, it also reflects our commitment to causes that resonate deeply with our people, culture, and Impact goals. Supporting this initiative allows us to play our part in tackling food waste while directly helping those in need.

“We have a long history of going the extra mile for our local charity partners, and I’m excited to see all we can achieve together in the coming months.”

Penny Vegting, director at The Real Junk Food Project - Twickenham, added: "We are delighted to have been chosen as Haymarket’s new local charity partner in the UK. Their commitment to making a positive impact aligns perfectly with our mission, and we are excited to work together to bring about meaningful change in the local community, helping to provide meals to anyone who needs it while eradicating food waste. With their support, we’ll be able to expand our efforts and reach even more people in need. We are excited to see the lasting difference we can make together."

Alongside Haymarket’s local charity and NGO partnerships across its global offices, the company recently announced the British Red Cross as its new global charity partner, supporting the Red Cross’ Disaster Fund, which helps communities prepare for, respond to and recover from crises.

This new partnership follows the success of Haymarket's previous UK partnership with Skylarks Charity (2019-2024), during which the company says it raised more than £500,000 through various fundraising efforts.