Who we are
Healthy Living Platform is a Lambeth charity making it easier for local communities to lead healthier and more sustainable lives.
We connect people through food across estates, neighbourhoods and community spaces, building access to good food, practical skills and stronger local networks. We are community-rooted, practical and focused on what works.
Healthy Living Platform began in 2018, commissioned through the Lambeth Early Action Partnership (LEAP) to work with families and early years children around diet and nutrition.
Since then, the organisation has grown into a borough-wide community food charity, supporting people of all ages and backgrounds across Lambeth.
What has remained constant is a simple belief: food is not just about nutrition, it is about dignity, access and connection.
Our Values
Compassionate
We know life can be complex. We meet people with care, respect and dignity.
Energetic
We take action. When something isn’t working, we find practical ways to improve it.
Non-judgemental
Our spaces are welcoming and inclusive. Everyone is treated with warmth and respect.
Grounded
We focus on support that works in everyday life - practical, sustainable and rooted in real experience.
Open
We listen and adapt. What people tell us shapes how we work.
Why we exist
Across Lambeth, many residents are balancing rising living costs, health conditions, caring responsibilities and insecure housing.
Access to affordable, culturally relevant and nutritious food is not equal.
We exist to make good food more accessible and to build the local partnerships and infrastructure that help communities thrive.
What we do
Our work centres around four aims:
Access – increasing access to affordable nutritious food
Education – building knowledge and skills to support healthy eating
Community – strengthening connection and local capacity
Advocacy – improving food policy and decision-making in Lambeth
We deliver this through:
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A warehouse that receives, stores and redistributes surplus and purchased food each week to 40+ community partners and local projects across Lambeth.
The Hub acts as the “last mile” for larger surplus food charities, helping ensure good food reaches neighbourhoods where it is most needed.
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Low-cost community food shops offering customers a weekly choice of fresh food and essentials at an affordable price — reducing food bills while creating welcoming local spaces.
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Accredited training, including Food Hygiene Level 2, alongside paid opportunities and community cooking roles. The programme builds confidence, skills and pathways into employment.
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A community café, cook-alongs and shared meals that bring people together around food. We work with local organisations, groups and businesses to create activities that build skills, confidence and community connection.
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A professional kitchen space for training, catering and hire — supporting local food projects and income generation.
Everything we do at Healthy Living Platform starts with the Hub.
Think of it like the trunk of a tree: from it grow many branches — pantries, kitchens, cafés, cooking sessions, training and community food projects across Lambeth.
From the Hub, support spreads out in many different ways:
Food for pantries, community meals and local food projects
Ingredients for cook-alongs, recipe kits and family cooking activities
Support for community cafés and social spaces where people connect
Training and volunteering opportunities through our Food Ambassador programmes
Information about council services and local support shared through trusted community spaces
Redistribution of essential items such as toiletries, baby goods and household equipment
The Hub doesn’t just distribute food, it powers a wide network of community activity, support and opportunity across Lambeth.
The Hub: The Infrastructure Behind Everything We Do
Designed With the Community
We design and adapt our services with the people who use them.
Our pantries and partner food spaces are based in trusted local settings and are largely volunteer-led. This means we hear directly from residents every week through conversations, feedback sessions and day-to-day interactions.
We act on what people tell us, ensuring our support remains practical, dignified and responsive.
What Makes Us Different
We combine warehouse-scale logistics with deep local knowledge.
We tailor food provision to the needs of each community partner.
We connect food access with skills, volunteering and social connection.
We have spent five years refining a local surplus redistribution model that works.
An independent 2025 evaluation rated our evidence as Robust and found that the Hub generates significant social, financial and environmental value for Lambeth.
You can read more on our Impact page.
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Looking Ahead
Demand continues to grow.
Protecting and strengthening the Food Hub is essential to maintaining food access and community connection across Lambeth.
If you’d like to support our work, partner with us or get involved, visit our Support Us page or get in touch.
