Empty Kitchens, Full Hearts continue vital work thanks to extended lease of vans after Christmas visit

A voluntary group set up during the pandemic to fight against food poverty in the Capital has been able to continue their vital work with the help of local partnerships.

The non-profit make three meals a day to over 1,000 people facing food poverty in Edinburgh

Civil engineering company Barhale Scotland and BCS Group have extended their partnership with non-profit Empty Kitchens, Full Hearts with an important renewal of a lease on the two hired vans they provided to the group before Christmas which they are using to help to deliver 30,000 meals a week to those in need.

Empty Kitchens, Full Hearts was set up as a direct response to the coronavirus pandemic and provides three hot meals to more than 1,350 people each day.

When the group first began, they were reliant on the generosity of the local community who were able to temporarily offer the use of vans while they were on furlough, but as restrictions began to ease the non-profit had to publicly appeal for vans to continue their work.

Before Christmas Barhale Scotland and BCS Group were able to lease two vans to ensure that Empty Kitchens, Full Hearts could continue their work over the festive period, and on Monday the partnership was extended.

Katie Walker, Barhale’s business development manager explained that following a visit to the volunteer’s premises, both Barhale and BCS Group were keen to continue their support.

“Having visited and met the team of volunteers and having seen the sheer volume of food packages they deliver to people in need we were humbled,” she said.

“As a business we are built on certain core values, one of which is community spirit. What these volunteers do daily is a great demonstration of just that. Our decision to extend the hire on the two vans is just our way of helping out and playing a small part in all they continue to do.”

Lewis McLachlan, Empty Kitchens, Full Hearts founder said: “Having started out with offering the two vans for 4 weeks, to extend it to a third month is an incredible and selfless act that allows us to deliver this crucial service for so many going though incredibly difficult times.

“BCS Group and Barhale’s vans help make what we do possible.

“When the team came for a site visit before the latest lockdown, they had already sent the vans ahead of them to help us out, but when they saw the impact and the scale of what we were up against they just got it, and clearly went away and sat down to see how much more they could help us.”

“We do not have much in the way of client overlap but one thing is clear, when it comes to doing the right thing to help when we can Barhale, BCS Group and Empty Kitchens, Full Hearts are birds of a feather.”

“We’ll be sad to see the vans go back at the end of the extension, but one thing is for sure Barhale and BCS Group will always be part of Empty Kitchens, Full Heart’s story and family.”

John Lawson, Head of Sales at BCS Group said, “It is a privilege to continue to support Empty Kitchen, Full Hearts in the fight against food poverty. These are difficult times and we all need to play our part.”

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