Food Vouchers - Megabite

ECI ran the Food Voucher Scheme from 1992 until 2006 and sold over 30,000 vouchers during this time. The Scheme began because many agencies, church leaders and members of the public wanted to provide a practical way of feeding homeless people without wishing to give them money or take them to get a meal. The Voucher scheme provides a simple, fraud-proof way of providing this support. Vouchers can be:

• Purchased by anyone (cost £1 per voucher)
• Given to homeless people seeking help as an alternative to giving money
• Exchanged at 4 outlets in the city (giving choice, value for money, variety of menu, different times of opening, etc..)
• Exchanged at St Petrock's where a variety of other support is also provided
• Given to homeless people in the knowledge that no change is given by the outlets and they cannot be exchanged for tobacco or alcohol

The Voucher scheme was featured on the BBC2 Food and Drink programme some years ago, which developed a lot of interest in the scheme throughout the UK. After helping a number of charities to set up similar schemes, ECI helped Housing Justice (formally the Churches Nation Housing Coalition) set up Megabite Meal Squares, which the ECI scheme is now part of.

The food voucher scheme is now run by St Petrocks.

ECI went on to develop a Clothes Voucher scheme in partnership with Exeter CVS. This works in a similar way to the Food Voucher scheme and is now run by Exeter CVS. Vouchers to the value of £10 are given out to those in need of clothing and these can be exchanged for clothes at about ten charity shops around the city.