How a Birmingham community came together to fight food insecurity
In one of Birmingham’s hardest-hit communities, a simple act of kindness recently rolled in on four wheels bringing groceries and essentials.
Last week, volunteers from Tarem Services, CBRE and Zurich gathered at Inner City Life, a local charity supporting adults facing homelessness, poverty, and mental health challenges.
Together, they packed and distributed 100 bags of essential food supplies to families and individuals in need.
More than just a one-off gesture
For social enterprise Tarem Services, this was more than a one-off gesture. It was an example of how the social enterprise embeds social value directly into its everyday work.
The Birmingham foodbank stop took place in the same community where Tarem delivers cleaning services for Zurich, on behalf of CBRE – demonstrating how commercial partnerships can create real, tangible impact.
“This was social value in action and it wouldn’t have been possible without the partnership of clients like CBRE and Zurich,” said Torquil Allen, business development director at Tarem Services.
Lifeline for local residents
The day also marked a milestone for Inner City Life as it launched its new soup kitchen – another lifeline for local residents during a time when food insecurity is at record levels.
According to the Trussell Trust, UK food banks distributed 2.9 million emergency parcels between April 2024 and March 2025 – the highest on record. More than 1.8 million of these went to families with children.
Nearly 1,600 people helped
Tarem’s mobile foodbank is a small but powerful response to this growing crisis. The Birmingham delivery was the ninth stop in the initiative’s journey bringing the total number of people supported since October 2024 to over 1,580.
Founded in 1999 with a grant from what is now The King’s Trust, Tarem Services has always believed that business can be a force for good. From cleaning offices to tackling food insecurity, the company continues to prove that compassion and commerce can go hand in hand.Learn more or get involved: www.taremservices.com/foodbank
