Volunteer
We are passionate about our community outreach projects. We welcome you to join us as we distribute free food to the people of Nottingham. Volunteering with Iléjį» means helping us collect surplus goods from local shops and making it available for the community to collect. Items can range from foods to flowers and are determined by each store's availability. This simple system prevents waste and supports people nearby. We welcome new volunteers who want to give their time in the evenings and be part of this positive change.
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Look at all the rescued baked goods below!
š« Zero Food Waste
Unfortunately, stores cannot display foods past their 'Use By' date, therefore by closing times they are discarded. Imagine how many families nationwide can make dinner on that day from foods ending their use by on the specific date? Iléjį» Homes is dedicated to achieving zero food waste by collecting surplus food from supermarkets and sharing it with our community. We volunteer in the evenings and welcome neighbours to pick up food safely. New volunteers are always required, please watch our video to learn more and join us in making a difference and combat food waste
āļø Make a real difference in your city
In 2023/2024, it was estimated that 7.5 million people (around 11% of the UK population) lived in “food insecure households".
Source: House Of Commons Library
By volunteering with Iléjį» we help turn surplus food into support for neighbours in need, by bringing practical relief and hope to people struggling with food insecurity.
š Why is there excess?
By law, retailers cannot display food past its use by date, which means these items are routinely removed and discarded at closing time. Across the country, many families could prepare a nutritious meal on that same day using perfectly good food that happens to be at the end of its labelled date. We pose as the rescuers and make the foods available to the public before the deadline at midnight!
š We rescue flowers too!
At times we may pick up flowers from stores that are due to expire on that day. I always wondered if surplus flowers can be put to better use rather than going to waste. Wilted flowers can actually be turned into compost, helping to enrich soil and support new plant growth. A thought for another day.
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(Pictured below: 11 bouquets of flowers collected on 15th January 2026, in which Ilejo Homes gave out for free.)
