Huey is the name chosen for a customised milk float that will support communities in Lambeth by delivering food and hygiene products for those in need from 18 September 2023. Healthy Living Platform staff and volunteers chose the name to reflect that Huey’s home is the surplus food hub at 336 Brixton Road.
Green moves
Healthy Living Platform CEO Kate Bull said: “We’ve always told Lambeth Council that we wanted to make our deliveries more sustainable. We planned to replace a diesel delivery van with electric, but the current wait is more than two years. Our milk float has 20 years’ battery life. Maximum speed is 20mph so it can’t break speed limits. It’s all electric so it’s not polluting, it’s ULEZ compliant. It will contribute to Lambeth becoming carbon neutral by 2030. And Huey can carry 2 ½ tons of food – of the 4 tonnes donated every week – at a time. It will be ideal for deliveries to places like refuges and hostels. Huey will start its rounds, visiting 11 community groups with food for almost 400 households.
Huey the milk float decorated in the style of the surplus food hub mural
“As well as donated food, we’ve run a recent appeal for hygiene products – including me doing sponsored ‘swim for soap’ swims. The cost of living crisis is forcing people to make a choice between eating and nappies.”
Healthy eating education
“We’ve adapted the milk float’s battery so we can plug in a hot plate from it and cook as part of healthy eating education in schools. We’ve worked on raising awareness of healthy eating with Lambeth Early Action Partnership (LEAP) and we want to work up through the years to teenagers ready to train in food hygiene and work in healthy eating. We’ll be able to go to places like school playgrounds where clean air is essential.
“Tomorrow there will be Healthy Living Platform graphics on the vehicle matching our new mural of fruit and vegetables on the wall of the hub, and information on the roof so people recognise Huey from the top deck of a bus.”
More information
- For more about Healthy Living Platform see their web pages or email contactus@healthylivingplatform.org
- The launch of Huey, the customised milk float for food deliveries coincides with Kate Bull leaving Healthy Living Platform.
