New Malden's Save The World Club and supermarket Aldi teamed up recently to provide tens of thousands of meals to some of Kingston borough's most vulnerable people.

Among their many activities the small community group, run by New Malden and Kingston stalwart Des Kay, provide meals to residents in the borough who most need them.

The Save The World Club Director described how they had seen a sharp rise in the number of people relying on food parcels to stop going hungry amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

"We’re seeing more people across New Malden and surrounding areas turning to us for support, and we are working hard to ensure that no one in the area has to go without food," he said.

Des also praised Aldi for their efforts in making the food arrived on time and without causing any significant food waste.

"We rely on the generosity of others, and Aldi’s regular donations are helping us to do even more to tackle food waste and food poverty in the area," he said,

"The New Malden Aldi team go the extra mile to help us by saving the maximum amount for our collections. We look forward to continuing our partnership with them."

Aldi said that the remarkable milestone of 30,000 food parcels delivered came after a year of its partnership with community engagement platform Neighbourly, who help direct perishable foods from supermarkets towards community groups who can distribute them where they're needed.

Fritz Walleczek, Managing Director of Corporate Responsibility at Aldi UK and Ireland, praised the partnership between the supermarket and small group of dedicated New Malden and Kingston residents.

"We’re always looking for new and creative ways to put leftover food from our stores to good use," he said.

"Our partnership with Save the World Club and other charities in the area is enabling us to distribute even more surplus stock to those who need it most.

“Our aim is for fresh, healthy food to be accessible for everyone, and our successful partnership with Neighbourly has enabled us to extend this commitment by supporting more charities and community groups across London. We look forward to continuing this important work with them.”