‘It’s the yeast we can do’: IDS are hosting a 24-hour bread-a-thon

Bready or not, this bread-a-thon will be a labour of loaf.


This month has been a long one, but there’s no need to break down and rye, because the Institute of Development Studies at Sussex are hosting a 24 hour “bread-a-thon” this Friday in partnership with the Thomas Franks Feeding Communities Charitable Foundation and the East Brighton Food Cooperative.

So, bready or not, the baking will start at 3pm on Friday 26 March, with volunteers working through the night and finishing at 3pm on Saturday, aiming to bake over 3,000 loaves of bread, and plenty of soup to go with it. The delicious end products will be distributed to those in need across Brighton.

Melissa Leach, Director at the Institute of Development Studies, said: “I am delighted that the Institute of Development Studies is able to play a small role in helping deliver food to those people facing shortages across Brighton and Hove. While IDS works with people all over the world who are facing hunger, food shortages and other forms of adversity, it is important to remember that these are issues affecting people right here at home.”

This bread-a-thon is made possible by the hard work of the IDS catering team, who will be volunteering their time and kitchens, using 350kg of bread flour, donated by Savona Foods. This bread and soup will then be distributed locally by  East Brighton Food Cooperative, who cook and distribute 230 meals per day, seven days a week, and since lockdown have provided over 70,000 meals in Brighton & Hove.

Ness Donaldson, Head of Facilities at the Institute of Development Studies, said: “The bread-a-thon is all about creating supporting the Feeding Communities Foundation and the East Brighton Food Co-operative. We want to raise awareness for the amazing work that they are doing and would encourage people to volunteer or donate money so that they can keep up their work across Brighton”.

So wheat it and weep, this mammoth bread-a-thon is not one to miss. For more information about these charitable organisations, visit Feeding Communities and East Brighton Food Cooperative.

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