The Felix Project, launched by this paper as a fledgling charity in our 2016 Food for London campaign and now the capital’s biggest surplus food distributor, has entered into “a perfectly chilled partnership” with King Charles and the Prince of Wales Charitable Fund to help thousands of households grappling with food insecurity.

The Prince of Wales Charitable Fund will establish a £1 million starting fund that “includes a substantial personal donation” from King Charles. The money will be used to fund The Felix Project and supply fridges and freezers to hundreds of charities in London and the rest of the country, enabling them to rescue and store more fresh and frozen food.

Scores of London charities set to benefit will be identified by The Felix Project, while beneficiary charities across the rest of the country will be identified by the Trussell Trust, British Asian Trust and FareShare, another beneficiary of our On the Breadline appeal in partnership with Comic Relief and The Childhood Trust.

Charlotte Hill, CEO of The Felix Project, said: “At Christmas we see a huge increase in surplus food donations, yet in previous years we have had to turn down tens of thousands of kilograms of food. We knew freezing food would be a good solution.

“Now, thanks to this incredible donation from His Majesty The King and a range of funders, we will not only be able to freeze and store vast quantities of food, we will be protected when food supplies are low due to seasonal dips and can create a long-lasting infrastructure for our community partners, that will help people for years to come.”

Baroness Casey, who helped spearhead this initiative, said: “The need for food banks is a cause of national shame but many people would go hungry without them. The cost of living has created real and enduring hardship for too many people. This action will mean some foodbanks and charities will be able to store more fresh food and reduce waste in the winter months.”

The initiative will also leave an environmental legacy. Food production is responsible for around a third of the planet’s greenhouse gas emissions. In landfill, food produces methane, which contributes to rising temperatures.