Leon hits £1m target to fund thousands of hot meals a day for NHS staff

Leon has reached its £1m target to fund thousands of hot meals a day for key hospital employees and will continue to raise money for the cause.

Fast-casual chain Leon joined forces at the end of March with actors Damian Lewis, Helen McCrory and Matt Lucas to launch a JustGiving campaign with the aim of raising £1m to fund 5,600 freshly prepared meals a day for NHS staff in five major London hospitals. Hot, nutritious meals from a pared-down menu are prepared daily across several Leon kitchens in London and are walked or sent via Deliveroo to those working around the clock in critical care units who are sruggling to access nutritious meals.

A number of other of operators including Wasabi, Tortilla, Franco Manca and Pizza Pilgrims have also supported the initiative and from next week BaxterStorey will also be on board. It is anticipated that the programme will be rolled out across the UK.

A message on Leon’s Twitter feed at the weekend said that “all the money donated will turn into meals”, which will be delivered in London, as well as Birmingham and Manchester.

It added: “NHS staff have taken time they don’t have to thank us and so we know this is making a small difference. But they are making the huge difference for us every day and so we must keep fundraising - please donate at FeedNHS.com.”

Read our full interview with Leon’s values and sustainability director Kirsty Sadler in this week’s magazine.