Celebrities Bring Festive Cheer to the Felix Project
Clodagh McKenna and Mark Wogan help get food to families this Christmas
The celebrities brought their families to help out. Picture: The Felix Project
December 29, 2025
Celebrities rolled up their sleeves in Acton on Christmas Eve to help sort food destined for families across London who are struggling this festive season.
TV chef Clodagh McKenna visited The Felix Project’s depot with her husband Harry Herbert and step-children Will and Chloe, joining chef and broadcaster Mark Wogan, who brought his son Harry. The group spent the morning decanting and sorting surplus food that will be delivered to community organisations running last-minute food support services on 24 and 25 December.
With all four Felix Project depots operating on Christmas Eve, the food sorted in Acton supported people not only locally but across the capital.
Clodagh, who began supporting the charity earlier this year, said she was inspired by the scale of the operation. “Food brings me such joy and keeps us all happy and healthy, but I am so saddened to know that so many people are really struggling to afford to buy the food they need,” she said. “I am so happy to be here with my family and to know we are helping to feed people during these difficult times.”
Mark Wogan, who supported the charity during the Covid lockdowns by donating food from his restaurant group, said the issue of waste remains stark. “There is such a huge amount of food waste across the industry, I have seen it again and again,” he said. “I am delighted to see how the charity has grown and is doing so much more to prevent food waste and use it to feed people.”
The run-up to Christmas is the busiest period of the year for The Felix Project, as supermarkets stock larger quantities of food and more surplus becomes available. In the week of 8 December, the Acton depot alone rescued over 108 tonnes of food — an increase of around 11% compared with a typical week in September. Across all four depots, the charity rescued almost 430 tonnes, up 18% on average September levels.
Among the organisations receiving food sorted by the volunteers is West Drayton Kids Club in Hillingdon, which has been supported by The Felix Project for just over a year and now receives weekly deliveries. Manager Clare said the Christmas Eve delivery would be crucial. “We have so many coming to us, from parents with babies right through to parents with college kids,” she said. “People have been asking what time the food is coming, so I know so many will be relying on it to make sure they have food for Christmas Day.”
She added that recent deliveries had included fresh produce such as broccoli, potatoes and even strawberries, which were a hit with the children, alongside crisps and milkshakes. “We are so grateful for everything Felix provide,” she said.
The Felix Project relies heavily on volunteers, with 13,000 people giving their time in 2024. Debbie Coulson, Head of Volunteering, said the charity could not operate at its current scale without them. “They are the backbone of The Felix Project,” she said. “It was amazing to have Clodagh, Mark and their families get stuck in and experience the Felix volunteer family.”
She added that 2026 will be a significant year as the charity merges with FareShare. “It is vital we get as many volunteers through our doors as possible to help us rescue more food and feed more people.”
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