King Charles has formalised plans to mark his 75th birthday in November and they don’t include glittering banquets or any sort of pomp: instead, The King reportedly wants to help end food waste.
In a new report from The Sunday Times, The King plans to launch the Coronation Food Project with a six-figure donation and a series of engagements both in the capital and outside to draw attention to the ongoing issue of food waste.
Earlier in the summer, the Prince of Wales Charitable Fund announced the Coronation Food Project as a way to support all four nations in the United Kingdom, which will “rescue surplus food and redistribute it to those who need it most, whilst supporting local farmers and reducing carbon emissions,” according to the Fund’s website.
The Fund was started with a £1 million donation by King Charles in December 2022, and over 800 refrigerators and freezers have been distributed to communities throughout the UK which have helped “rescue, store and redistribute vital food supplies.”
Roya Nikkhah revealed in her report that the first four distribution centres to tackle food waste—refrigerators, freezers, warehouses, vans and drivers—will be built in London, Glasgow, Merseyside and Northern Ireland, with further centres added from a compiled list of communities that have been “deemed most at need.”
At the time of its launch, Sir Ian Cheshire, the Chair of Trustees of the Fund said about The King that he has been “a champion of the circular economy, farming communities and increasing our food security as a nation for many decades and is keen to support a step-change in this work over the coming years.”
According to the latest report, The King has already briefed both the government and the Labour Party about the plans for the Coronation Food Project and both are supportive.