Cardiff Volunteer Wins National Food Award in Cardiff 2026

Key Points

• Wendy Thomas, aged 57, who is a volunteer at FoodCycle Cardiff Ely, has been selected as the winner of the Wales Regional Volunteer of the Year Awards 2026 from FoodCycle.
• She has been volunteering with the community dining project for three years, where she helps to convert food waste into free three-course dinners.
• The community dining project takes place every Monday at 6:30 PM at the Dusty Forge center on Cowbridge Road West.
• FoodCycle volunteers in South Wales have offered 3,290 meals and helped save 2.88 tonnes of surplus food from going to waste this year.
• These awards are conducted jointly by the Marsh Charitable Trust to honor community volunteers.

Cardiff (Cardiff Daily) October 21, 2026 – A dedicated Cardiff volunteer has been awarded the title of Wales winner at FoodCycle’s Regional Volunteer of the Year Awards 2026 for her outstanding efforts in transforming surplus food into nutritious three-course community meals.

Who is Wendy Thomas and what is FoodCycle Cardiff Ely?

As reported by Rhys Gregory of Wales 247, Wendy Thomas, 57, has dedicated three years of volunteer service to the FoodCycle Cardiff Ely community meal initiative. Operating every Monday at 6:30 pm at the Dusty Forge centre situated on Cowbridge Road West, the project provides free three-course meals to anyone in the local community who wishes to attend.

The initiative is managed by the community dining charity FoodCycle, which also oversees sister projects including FoodCycle Cardiff Riverside on Wednesdays and FoodCycle Newport on Tuesdays. As detailed by Rhys Gregory of Wales 247, Thomas is a mother of three and grandmother of two who frequently takes a leading role in the kitchen team, creating diverse dishes such as soups, pasta bakes, curries, and inventive baked goods like chocolate brownies crafted from surplus courgettes.

How do the Regional Volunteer of the Year Awards recognise community impact?

The awards are organised in partnership with the Marsh Charitable Trust to celebrate volunteers who provide vital support to their local neighbourhoods. According to figures reported by Rhys Gregory of Wales 247, FoodCycle volunteers have successfully served 3,290 meals and saved nearly three tonnes of surplus food from going to waste across South Wales so far this year.

Thomas received nominations from her fellow volunteers at the Cardiff Ely project. As reported by Rhys Gregory of Wales 247, one colleague stated:

“For the past 3 years, Wendy has been the ‘mum’ of our Dusty Forge kitchen, showing up week after week, with her superpower of turning whatever random ingredients we have into meals that are not only tasty but served with a restaurant-quality garnish.”

Another fellow volunteer noted, as written by Rhys Gregory of Wales 247:

“She is the heart of our team and has created a kitchen that feels like the Dusty Forge family, with everyone returning week after week.”

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What do project leaders say about the award-winning volunteer?

Jemma Pembury, FoodCycle’s Regional Manager for Wales, highlighted the welcoming atmosphere fostered at the centre. As reported by Rhys Gregory of Wales 247, Jemma Pembury stated:

“Wendy’s warmth and kindness is one of the first things you notice when you step through the doors at FoodCycle Cardiff Ely. The project has become the highlight of the week for many of the guests there, and Wendy’s ability to connect with each of each of them, and build a committed and consistent team is what makes all the difference. FoodCycle Cardiff Ely is a great example of what community dining can be, and Wendy has been instrumental in this.”

Pembury further emphasised the importance of volunteers, stating, as reported by Rhys Gregory of Wales 247:

“We couldn’t do what we do without our amazing volunteers like Wendy. We’re grateful to The Marsh Charitable Trust for partnering with us on these awards to recognise their kindness.”

Why did Wendy Thomas start volunteering and what is the impact on the local community?

Thomas explained her original motivation for joining the charity. As reported by Rhys Gregory of Wales 247, Wendy Thomas said:

“I was looking for a way to help other people and give something back to the community. It’s something Mark and I have always talked about,”

referencing her husband Mark, with whom she usually volunteers.

Detailing the social atmosphere at the Dusty Forge centre, Thomas stated, as reported by Rhys Gregory of Wales 247:

“We have people who come in who might be homeless or vulnerable, and people might walk past them on the street. But at FoodCycle everybody knows them by name, and they give you a smile, and you know they feel welcome.”

She added, as reported by Rhys Gregory of Wales 247:

“It’s lovely seeing new guests leave happy, saying thank you, and you know they’re not strangers anymore. We’re getting more families coming in now too, nearly every week we have about 10 children who join us. Some of the guests are learning how to cook because of it, and trying new foods too. We even make sure we celebrate the guest’s birthdays if they want to share with us when their birthday is. It’s a proper community environment.”

Reflecting on her recognition, Thomas stated, as reported by Rhys Gregory of Wales 247:

“It’s an honour. I didn’t sign up to do FoodCycle to win awards. I couldn’t do it just as Wendy Thomas, I do it as FoodCycle. Team Ely, that’s what we call ourselves because we work together. I feel part of that community because we’ve helped so many, and they’ve helped us. It is a massive thing. I feel quite proud.”

FoodCycle confirmed that individuals over the age of 18 are eligible to register as volunteers across various roles, including cooking, hosting, and collecting surplus food, with full training provided regardless of prior experience.

Background of the particular development

The recognition of Wendy Thomas highlights the ongoing expansion and grassroots impact of community dining initiatives across the United Kingdom, specifically addressing food poverty and surplus food waste. FoodCycle operates nationally by partnering with retailers and local food suppliers to intercept surplus ingredients that would otherwise be discarded. Over recent years, economic pressures, rising living costs, and increased food insecurity have driven higher demand for community meal services. Charitable initiatives like FoodCycle bridge social divides by offering not only nutritional support but also safe, inclusive spaces for vulnerable, isolated, and low-income individuals to socialise and build supportive local networks.

This development highlights the growing local reliance on volunteer-led food redistribution networks in urban centres like Cardiff, signalling that community hubs will likely see increased engagement from families and vulnerable residents. As food waste reduction initiatives gain institutional backing from charitable trusts, projects like FoodCycle Cardiff Ely are positioned to expand their operational capacity, attracting more volunteers and strengthening community resilience across South Wales.