Food is a joyful thread weaving through our lives, connecting us to each other and our planet. But our current food system is broken. Industrial food systems are responsible for 1/3 of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change, 80% of deforestation and 70% of freshwater use. Yet we waste one-third of all food produced. In the UK alone, a staggering 9.5 million tonnes of food goes to waste each year (WRAP), while one in seven people grapple with hunger (Trussell Trust). It's time for change. At Toast we sustainably brew delicious beer with surplus bakery bread and donate all profits to environmental charities and community groups. Could you be our next partner? We’re launching the fund to support positive food systems at a local level. We want to raise a Toast to the heroes nurturing our communities and preserving our environment through better food systems. Are you a food-focused community group raising the bar for people and the planet in London? You might be curbing food waste through composting systems, cultivating a tastier future for all through food growing, or protecting local biodiversity - the pollinators and pest-eaters that help us to grow food organically. Whatever your project - we want to hear from you! Apply by 24 March 2024 to be considered for the Toast Food Sustainability Heroes Fund. We’ll shortlist 10 projects then ask our community to vote on the top 5. Fund winners will be announced on 2nd April, but all shortlist projects will be invited to a party at our Good Company taproom in central London. Criteria for application: - Location: Project is based within the greater London area - Sustainable Development Goal focus: Sustainable Consumption and production (linked to SDG 12) and/or action for climate and nature (linked to SDG 13) - Impact: You can demonstrate a tangible positive impact in the local community - Timescales: project completed and can be reported on by 30 June 2024. - Note: This fund is for groups of over 18 years of age as we are an alcohol brand. Fund amount: £1000 We particularly want to support underrepresented communities (people who are insufficiently or inadequately represented, due to age, disability, ethnicity, gender, religion or belief, and sexual identity, as detailed in the UK’s Equality Act. Note, the project can be part of a wider project that requires funding from different sources, provided there is a measurable impact of the use of these funds.