Having recently opened our brand new kitchen following almost three years without one, we've been grateful to receive some unexpected support from a famous face in food.
Heather Mills is the businesswoman behind VBites, a British pioneer of plant-based products, which was established just a year before Kids Kabin was, in 1993.
Ms Mills, who became aware of Kids Kabin’s work by chance at a meeting involving one of our trustees, has offered us her support in the form of hundreds of VBites ready meals in a can, made up of meat-free high-protein and Cheezly Beans.
She is now hoping to be able to support other local good causes in a similar way after personally purchasing £825,000 of the products – that's roughly 300,000 tins – to donate to “struggling schools, students, and charities”.
She explained: “Having been brought up in a family struggling for food, I’m horrified to learn that so many hard-working families are still battling to give their kids nutritious food every day.
“Our youth deserves better, and Kids Kabin is an incredible charity making a big difference, so I’m delighted to be able to help, and would like to use this donation to support as many charities as possible.”
The calcium-rich ready meals, which can be served alongside rice, potatoes or on toast, have up to 28g per serving of protein that is free from meat and dairy. Designed to feed a family of four for under £10, among the Cheezly Beans range are options that are palm oil, soya, and gluten free.
Will Benson, our Chief Officer, who collected the cans from VBites’ factory site in Peterlee, added: “People in our local communities are working incredibly hard to give their kids healthy and nutritious meals to get the best start in life. We see first-hand how difficult that can be, so we're very grateful to Heather for her generosity.
“We’re already thinking about how we can use this donation, not only to give hearty meals to the children and young people we work with, and their families, but to enable them to learn more about how to make tasty, straightforward and inexpensive vegan meals that go further.”
If you’re a charity that would like to accept some of the ready meals in a can offered by Ms Mills, please contact shaunduffyconsulting@gmail.com. And to support our work, visit our donation page or contact the team at admin@kidskabin.org.uk.