Most of us are lucky enough to never experience food insecurity. We will not feel the anxiety of asking ourselves, “how am I going to make my money stretch to feed myself and my family this week? Am I going to have to skip another meal, so my kids eat?”But as we move closer to double-digit food inflation again this winter because of the conflict in the Middle East, that is the reality for more and more families. They will need support. But what does that support look like? It looks like us. Today we announce Felix is the new name for two merged charities, The Felix Project and FareShare. Our two organisations came together last year to become stronger, to make meaningful changes to food policies and ensure more edible surplus food can be used to build stronger communities. The name “Felix” means something special. The Felix Project was set up in memory of Felix Byam Shaw, who sadly died from meningitis aged 14 in 2014. His parents wanted to create a legacy and, as a child, Felix’s passion was about food and feeding people. 22 years on, they have certainly achieved that. Felix, the UK’s food rescue charity, supplies surplus food to around 8,000 charities every year. Some are food banks and pantries, some are shelters supporting those affected by homelessness or who have been victims of domestic abuse. There are also community centres which offer meals for elderly people alongside yoga and games afternoons, baby and toddler groups that offer new mums guidance, a place to make new friends and a weekly bag of food. Food is the catalyst to bring people in. But from there, so much more can be achieved. These places strengthen their community’s health and resilience, and I am so proud to know many are only able to do that because they get food from Felix. I have sat down at lunch clubs that only exist because the organisation receives Felix food. These meals give people a reason to get out of bed. They have given them a social life and friends to talk to. One lady said the weekly meals not only mean that she eats a delicious and balanced hot lunch but going there had helped her understand she was not alone, people that lived just a few streets away were also struggling. The community meal she now attends religiously has opened her eyes to the support available; she now accesses a food bank at the very same community centre – one which also uses Felix food. This means she is not hungry and has a few extra pounds to put on her electricity meter.At a youth club, one parent, a single mum who worked part time, explained to me that the ever-increasing cost of food had meant each week she could afford less and less until she was having to skips meals to ensure her children could eat. The weekly food parcel she now receives contains vegetables, fruit, yoghurts, ready meals and more. This mum uses it to plan the next week of shopping and now only has to buy some extra ingredients, it has relieved pressure on her food budgets, and she is no longer regularly skipping meals. But, alongside this, her children are getting their Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award, engaging in activities a few nights a week and building their CV for the future with a youth worker they really trust.I have been to a pantry which gets weekly deliveries from Felix – and so has invested in a benefits support service. One man who was going through a crisis explained it made a huge difference. He was employed by the NHS, he then got injured and had to stop work. Overnight his income dropped but his bills did not. He found the local pantry and each week he got enough food to live on. The pantry’s extra support services also helped him apply for the right benefits and stopped him getting into debt. When I met him, he was hoping to return to work in the following months, but he said without the service he did not know how he would have coped during that period around his injury. This pantry would not have the extra cash to pay for this service if they had to also buy in the extra food rather than it be provided by Felix from surplus food.These are just a few of the myriad stories I hear about how Felix food, which would otherwise be thrown away, has enabled organisations to do more. It is these stories that motivate us all and why I am so excited about the future and what Felix – as a new charity – can achieve. We are proud that our logo is Felix’s signature from a Mother’s Day card, and we have a bit of Felix magic in everything we do. Since its inception 10 years ago The Felix Project has grown and grown and now by merging with FareShare, with their 30 years’ experience of food redistribution, by taking their expertise and knowledge adding it to the drive of Felix we will achieve more. Together we are stronger to face the global challenges we are all experiencing.Sir Keir Starmer’s government has pledged to bring together the voluntary sector, businesses, the food sector, and philanthropists alongside government to ensure as a country we can triple the amount of edible food being rescued. As we all work together on developing the practical elements needed to make sure we can genuinely do this, I always try to remember the people I meet why we are doing it. I hope more people now understand how important they are and support them and Felix to ensure we can rescue food for fuller lives. To help children and communities affected by the cost-of-living crisis wherever they live in the UK, donate here