Stop Hunger Challenge:Tackling Food Insecurity Across the UK & Ireland
The statistics around food insecurity in the UK and Ireland are tough reality to face. In 2024, 14.1 million people were classed as food insecure, many were forced to skip meals or cut back on essentials just to get by. While the scale of the challenge is undeniably significant, we see hope in the work being done by organisations like the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation and Wells Fargo, and in the students stepping up to address it.
We are proud to partner with Sodexo and Wells Fargo on our Stop Hunger Challenge. By combining their expertise with our applied service learning model, we empower young changemakers to develop the leadership skills needed to tackle food insecurity head-on.
After launching the Enactus x Stop Hunger Challenge in February, we've selected nine youth-led social enterprises to accelerate their ideas into impactful, scalable solutions. With dedicated funding and expert mentoring, these teams are now moving into their development phase, creating strong interventions designed to drive positive change in their communities.
Congratulations to the student teams at:
⭐ CCSN, Atlantic Technological University
⭐ Accom-O-Plate, Enactus Leeds
⭐ Wonky Bowl, Enactus Southampton
⭐ Athrú Hub, Dublin City University
⭐ Care Cupboard, Enactus Huddersfield
⭐ Back for Seconds, Enactus Birmingham
⭐ Ugly Foods, University of Limerick
⭐ Brass and Beans, Enactus NMITE
⭐ BiaBox, TU Dublin
Across our university programme, these projects have collectively impacted over 500 beneficiaries. We are incredibly proud of the quality and innovation demonstrated by all teams who submitted, it's a tremendous achievement to see so many Enactus students creating tangible solutions to tackle food insecurity in their communities.
Previous editions of our Stop Hunger competition have showcased groundbreaking approaches to addressing food insecurity. Last year's runner-up, ReFridge by TU Dublin, developed a system to collect surplus food from FoodCloud and deliver it to students facing food insecurity. In under a year, ReFridge saved 2,000 kg of food, prevented more than 3,200 kg of CO₂ emissions, and supported over 1,000 students with access to nutritious meals. ReFridge also won the Social Impact category at the 2025 Green Gown Awards.
At Enactus, we believe that a better future for all is achievable when we empower leaders who have the skills, confidence, and agency to act. A huge thank you to the teams at Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation and Wells Fargo for their partnership and for putting our changemakers at the forefront of this movement.
The overall winners of the Stop Hunger Challenge will be announced at NextGen Takeover on 15th April at ExCeL London. We'd love for you to join us in celebrating these incredible students alongside all of our amazing teams.
To learn more about the NextGen Takeover, visit the link here.
