The BMJ appeal 2020-21: Independent Food Aid Network gives a voice to those determined to make a difference

The sight of a parent or guardian “standing on the doorstep with tears in their eyes, and the young person so happy that they seem to have food at last” is an everyday experience for Alexandra McMillan.

In June 2020, McMillan, who used to work as a personal trainer, set up the Legendary Community Club in Lewisham, a London borough where 37% of school children experience food insecurity. Since then, she has coordinated the distribution of more than 7500 lunches and 2200 food parcels to prevent children going hungry.

“I was volunteering at the local food bank while on furlough,” she recalls. “Someone mentioned that teachers at nearby schools were dipping into their own pockets to make sure their pupils didn’t go hungry. I saw there was a need and that I could do something.”

What helped, she says, was …