Bidfood increases efforts to support people affected by Ukraine conflict

Through its partnership with the non-governmental organisation (NGO) Hope4, Bidfood has set a target to increase the food and drink aid it gives to people affected by the conflict in Ukraine. So far the wholesaler has donated approximately £400,000 worth of products and it is determined to boost this figure to £1 million.

Bidfood’s Jim Gouldie on his recent visit to Ukraine with the charity Hope4.

The link between the wholesaler and the NGO dates back to when the war first began: food packages were sent to Moldova, which became a place of refuge for many fleeing the conflict.

Now on its seventh load of support, Bidfood has provided around 73,000 meals for those in need; hitting its new target will take this figure to 200,000 meals. What’s more, the wholesaler is not only donating its own stock, but also working with and encouraging suppliers, customers and even competitors to fund and donate as well.

This work supports Bidfood’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals both internally and externally, and also assists in clearing stocks.

The food dispatched has consisted of mostly ambient products – items such as canned veg, meat in cans and jars, pasta, biscuits and snack products, as well as canned drinks and bottles of drinking water. These donations have been distributed to Ukrainian refugees, those in desperate poverty in Moldova, and people remaining in war-torn areas of Ukraine who are unable to escape the conflict.

Bidfood’s supply chain & technical services director Jim Gouldie recently visited parts of Ukraine that had been recaptured from Russian occupation to see the impact the support Bidfood and Hope4 is having on those affected. He commented: “This has to be hands down the most humbling experience for me. To be able to join forces with Hope4 who are doing such incredible work to support the people of Ukraine affected by this ongoing conflict is just amazing to see.

“It was fantastic to see first-hand how we were also having a positive impact, offering support at such a difficult time, but it’s crucial that this support continues and doesn’t dwindle as unfortunately the humanitarian needs are rarely shown on our TV screens any more.

“Now I’m home, it’s more important than ever for me to raise awareness of the situation and share how others can get involved. Our goal as a business is to provide £1,000,000 of food and drink support, but how powerful could our level of support be if the wider industry were able to play a part too!”

Speaking about the partnership, Chris Lomas, CEO of Hope4, said: “At a time of desperate need to support starving families and Ukrainian refugees fleeing the devastation in their homeland, Bidfood has stood up to the challenge of supporting those who have nothing and has continued to do so, even when this devastation is no longer making daily news.

“We at Hope4 are humbled by the incredible support we get from Bidfood but sadly we recognise these challenges are getting worse, not better. We invite all from across the industry, whether you are a manufacturer, wholesaler, retailer or foodservice operator, to join with Bidfood and us all to help support one of the largest humanitarian crises Europe has ever seen.”

Bidfood and Hope4 have also worked together to support those affected by the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, supplying food packages as well as sleeping bags, blankets and freezer suits to keep those without a home warm at night.

Follow the link to listen to Jim Gouldie talk through his work with Hope4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXEccMfcjzI

If you have any questions on what you can do to support Hope4, or would like to partner with Bidfood for sending food out to Moldova and Ukraine, please feel free to contact Jim directly: jimgouldie@bidfood.co.uk