News that Start Up Stirling, has announced it has passed the one million meals donation milestone has been welcomed by Forth Valley College who partner with the charity to produce meals for vulnerable people.
Start Up Stirling provides support for people who are experiencing financial hardship and food insecurity in the Stirling area, and they announced recently that by the end of 2025, they had distributed 1,044,958 meals via their Crisis Food Service in the last eight years.
Forth Valley College’s Hospitality Team have been delighted to work closely with them especially during the Christmas period and during summer holidays to provide meals for those in need which the charity can distribute. This has led to at least two motions in the Scottish Parliaments from local MSPs to recognise the great work they do.
Gareth Davies, FVC Chef Manager, who is pictured here after his staff and students helped to prepare 600 meals for vulnerable people last summer, said: “What a fantastic achievement to all of the team at Start Up Stirling. We offer our full congratulations to everyone involved over the years in reaching this milestone within the community.
“Within FVC’s Hospitality Team we are all very proud to have played a small part in this achievement by delivering meals at key points in the year and working closely with the Start Up team, to offer our support as and when required and we look forward to continuing this partnership in the years ahead.”
The charity, which was established in 1994, has been providing food support for the past 12 years. Initially, they began with one small foodbank in a church hall. The service has expanded to respond to local need, and they now co-ordinate two city centre foodbanks, as well as six satellite rural ones. They also have a rural delivery service to reach outlying villages and towns.
When the service began back in October 2012, it helped 12 families. By 2025, this had risen to 143,500 meals, supporting 3,722 people, 1,244 of whom were children. Start Up Stirling is now the largest independent provider of crisis food in the Stirling Council area.
Andrew Ireland, Chief Operating Officer, said: "One million meals is a massive achievement for the charity. It shows how much the people in the Stirling Council area and beyond have supported us through the years. This has allowed us to make an impact on the lives of the people who continue to need our services. It is also testament to the support that our volunteers have provided, to make this a reality.”
Start Up Stirling relies on the food that they receive in their donation stations across the Stirling Council area to provide their services, everywhere from supermarkets, local shops, shopping centres, banks, community centres, schools and churches.
They are also grateful for the financial support that they receive from grant funders, local businesses and their supporters in the community, who engage with the charity's fundraising campaigns and appeals.
However, the charity has seen a drop in their food donations over the past two years, not because people aren’t as generous, but the amount that they can afford to donate has reduced, due to rising food costs.
Over the festive period, almost 1,000 people received crisis food and Christmas dinners, as well as providing gifts for children and young people. With 2026 beginning with some very cold weather, they anticipate that the Crisis Food Service will be busier than ever.
Julie Christie, Fundraising Officer for Start Up Stirling said, “We are so grateful for all the help that we receive from our supporters, but we would really appreciate it if you could donate any extra food that you bought for Christmas and didn’t need, for use at our foodbanks over the Winter. Every tin of soup, beans, rice pudding, tea bags or breakfast cereal makes a big difference to the people that need our help, and helps us to ensure that no-one goes hungry.”
For more information on Start Up Stirling visit: https://startupstirling.org.uk/
