After talking to hospital workers Alick Varma and Emma Phillips had a conversation about how they could better support frontline workers in the NHS, it became clear that they needed more energy. Access to food at the hospitals is not available, yet NHS staff were pulling double shifts to deal with CoVID-19 patients.

Sublime: How did the idea come up?

Emma Phillips: We felt helpless sat at home & obeying social distancing, while our medical friends battle CoVID-19 in war like conditions. So we decided to do something about it, and launch Meals for the NHS.

We’re raising money to deliver free meals to frontline NHS heroes, whilst supporting local restaurants in the process that might have otherwise shut down.

S: When did this happen?

EP: By Monday, we had pulled together a small working team and minimal viable product that funded 50 delicious pasta meals made by Berto on Holloway Road for the workers at the Whittington Hospital.

On Tuesday, we provided meals to three NHS hospitals; Whittington, Royal London, and University College Hospital; by Wednesday this had turned into six hospitals. As of now we’re scaling to more hospitals and teams every single day.

We have 20 more NHS hospitals on our waiting list, and a hungry team ready to grow this service. What we need now is sponsorship and donations!

S: How are you doing it?

EP: Trebling (or nearly trebling) meals every day (50, 150, 450, 960). We have gone from 1 hospital (Monday) to 3 (Tuesday) to 6 (Wednesday) to 12 (Friday)- served with a single biggest drop off of + 200 meals

As of now we have a waiting list of +5,000 daily meals to deliver across 27 hospitals – and growing every day.

S: How can others help?

EP: Donations and sponsorship! Our average meal cost is £5. Therefore £500 will feed up to 100 hungry, tired (and amazing) hospital staff. We have 27 hospitals on our waiting list already and we need to raise as much money as possible as quickly as possible to start sending them meals when they need it most.

The money will go directly to the local businesses who are preparing and delivering the food to the hospitals, who may otherwise have had to go out of business during the current crisis.

To donate or support visit: Meals for the NHS