Our history
The Big Community Takeaway was the brainchild of Lisa Walker, Mark Rann and Mark Rosales. They saw an opportunity as lockdown began in March 2020 to help feed those most in need in their community.
With the help of seven restaurants and catering businesses in Chesham, they started to deliver food on a Friday night to key workers and others who needed support.
We’re so grateful for the support of Brazil’s Kitchen, Eat to the Beat, The Junction, Roots, Sizzler Express and The Tavern who all worked with us when we first set up this initiative.
Between May 2020 and April 2021, Big Community Takeaway delivered over 10,000 meals in the Chesham and Amersham area. 47% of these were for children, whose parents were often going without food themselves.
Since many businesses have been able to return to some normality, we’ve streamlined our operation. Now we provide meals on a Tuesday evening from the kitchen of the Black Horse in Chesham Vale. We have over 100 volunteers who prepare, cook and deliver the food, so it arrives fresh and warm to our clients’ doors.
However it’s clear that, even when the pandemic is over, food poverty is a very real issue, both here in Chesham and throughout Buckinghamshire.
If you want to talk to us about how you could set up a Big Community Takeaway in your area, do get in touch.
The map above gives an indication of the areas we’ve delivered hot meals to date. Locations change depending on need and people’s circumstances.
Food poverty can affect anyone and we’re here to help if we can.