🍎 Inside London’s Leading Food Redistribution Charity — The Felix Project with Marcus Roberts
In this deeply moving episode of Kioi Studio, we sit down with Marcus Roberts, Relationship Manager at The Felix Project—London’s largest food redistribution charity. What starts as a conversation about food quickly becomes something much bigger: a story of connection, gratitude, faith, and impact.
Marcus’s energy is unmistakable—uplifting, grounded, and emotionally generous. But it’s the heart behind the missionthat makes this conversation one of our most inspiring yet.
🥦 A Mission Rooted in Dignity and Sustainability
The Felix Project rescues surplus food from supermarkets, farms, and suppliers and redistributes it to charities, schools, and community groups across London. 50% of the food is fresh produce—a point of pride for Marcus, who knows how essential healthy food is for physical and mental wellbeing.
What makes Felix unique isn’t just the logistics. It’s the care. Food is sorted with community needs in mind—respecting dietary restrictions, faith-based needs, and cultural preferences.
And more than that, it’s done with dignity. From market-style school distributions to community hubs that offer warmth and connection, Marcus emphasizes the human side: “It’s not just about poverty. It’s about giving with dignity, helping the environment, and showing care.”
🤝 Relationships Are Everything
As Relationship Manager, Marcus helps build bridges—between The Felix Project and its donors, volunteers, celebrity ambassadors, and corporate partners. His work with restaurants like Los Mochis, influencers like Melissa Hemsley, and companies like Amazon and Ocado has led to millions of meals reaching families across the city.
But for Marcus, the relationships that matter most are the ones that are built on trust and shared values. "You give people something meaningful to be part of, and they give everything back tenfold."
🔥 Powered by Volunteers, Rooted in Love
From one van in West London to four depots and a full-scale kitchen producing 5,000 meals a day, The Felix Project has grown rapidly—but always with its roots in community.
Founded in memory of Felix Byam Shaw, the charity holds deep emotional significance. Marcus credits the founders' values with keeping it real, human, and heartfelt—even as operations scale.
In 2024, over 13,000 volunteers helped make this work possible. Whether it’s sorting food, picking apples on farms, or driving deliveries, volunteers are the lifeblood of Felix. "You don’t need to do it every week," Marcus says. "One day a month helps change lives."
🌍 Expanding Impact, Influencing Policy
The Felix Project isn’t stopping at food redistribution. It's now involved in policy advocacy—with its CEO engaging government leaders to address systemic food waste and poverty.
And with a new merger with FareShare, the UK’s leading food redistribution network, the impact is about to scale even further. The goal? To ensure no good food is wasted, and no one goes hungry—and to change national policy to make that possible.
🧠 The Power of Belief, Gratitude, and Presence
At the heart of the episode is Marcus himself—a man whose faith, gratitude, and emotional clarity bring a quiet power to everything he does.
He speaks about:
The stories we tell ourselves, and the need to choose encouragement over doubt
The importance of presence, kindness, and human connection in a distracted world
The ripple effect of one person’s kindness—and how we all have a role to play
As he puts it: “You’re not here forever. Life is short. And if you can do something good while you're here—why wouldn’t you?”
Listen to the episode here: https://linktr.ee/thekollectiveinstituteofideas
