Here at the Old Skool Bus and Kitchen, taking part in charity events and fundraisers is part of our fabric. Our business was started by three friends who’d been working together on charity food projects and we adopted our first bus Bella during lockdown. We vowed to always support and deliver on charity events as much as possible to keep true to ourselves and celebrate both national fundraising initiatives and smaller charities within the local community who don’t always get the recognition they deserve. 

Read on for some examples of charities we’ve previously supported.

‘Feed the Children’ is an organisation committed to ending childhood hunger and providing nutritious meals to underprivileged children to ensure they grow up healthy and strong. We collaborated with Russel Tisbury and Riddle and Finns to distribute 300 children’s Sunday roasts and over 100 salmon dishes for free to kids in Brighton and Hove in 2020 to help end food poverty.

Over that Christmas, we collaborated with Knight Support as our dedicated team of volunteers also supported the homeless in Brighton and Hove by wrapping presents, making stockings and preparing roast dinners. We gave Christmas food and gifts to 60 vulnerable young people and asylum seekers in their council accommodation on Christmas Day, gave over 100 Christmas roast dinners and puddings to homeless shelters and direct to the streets and provided winter coats, gloves, hats, new socks, toiletries and packaged food supplies to the homeless.

In 2021, we supported Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week by partnering with Sussex Mental Health Trust ‘Heads On’ Charity and their Hearts of Gold Campaign. We ran a competition involving sharing children’s Hearts of Gold paintings, arts and crafts to win free waffles or American Toasties at our food truck. As part of the same initiative, we delivered a choice of three hot meals to 160 NHS Staff at Mill View hospital in Hove. Our winter warmer menu included a chicken and chorizo stew, chicken laksa and tofu laksa, providing a nourishing meal to those all important key workers. We also had a selection of independent bakers donate some incredible cakes and sweet treats. Our partnership with Heads On is ongoing and we always make an effort to support and celebrate all the amazing work they do by spoiling them with nutritious meals and tasty treats.

Now fast forward to our most recent charity campaign where we had a designer create a fab image of the bus branded for Breast Cancer Now’s flagship fundraising campaign, Wear It Pink. We helped do our bit by offering local businesses the opportunity to order a work lunch on Tuesday 22nd, Thursday 24th or Friday 25th of October 2024 to treat their team in honour of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. At just £10 per person, our amazing volunteer staff delivered sarnies, baps, bagels, snacks and cans of drink to local businesses, with £8 per lunch going straight to charity. Our menu included hot pulled pork baps, bacon and egg baps, BLT New York bagels, Vine tomato, mozzarella and pesto bagels, pastrami, swiss cheese and pickle bagels and roast veg, rocket and hummus bagels. 

Now that we’re fully into 2025, we’d absolutely love to continue collaborating with other businesses to help support more charities and deliver banging food to people who need it most. 

A huge thanks goes to all the generous people and businesses who have made all our charity fundraisers possible so far:

Breast Cancer Awareness month:
Rogman’s Butchers, Hove for pork 

Coburn & Baker for baps

Bake a difference CIC for the cakes (thanks to volunteer baker, Hazel) 

Feed the Children:

Tisbury’s Kitchen for donating 300 children’s roasts

Riddle and Finns for donating over 100 salmon and rice dishes

Homeless Outreach:

Knight Support for the Christmas collaboration for the homeless and redistribution of supplies

Exeter Street Hall for letting us use the hall to prepare all the food and accept donations

Ginger Pig Hove for Christmas food donations

Foundry Brighton and Roasts in Brighton for food donations

Brighton Hot Sauce for their amazing cranberry sauce

Brighton and Hove Calendars for the calendars for the gift bags on Christmas Day 

Feeding the NHS staff at Mill View Hospital:

M and B Meats for donating a range of meats for our winter warmer stews

Shrub Provisions for donating fresh veg 

Pamir Asian Grocery for donating supplies

Sorcha Bridge for her wonderful photography

Exeter Street Hall for letting us use the hall to prepare all the food and accept donations

Ethicurean Guild for their donations 

Real Patisserie for donating delicious cakes and crusty bread to accompany our winter warmer stews

Lalas Bakes for donating incredible cupcakes and chocolate cake 

Inspirations 81 Bakery for donating heart themed cupcakes

Sam at Bond’s Bakes for donating dozens of gorgeous and tasty cupcakes

Sea Shore Bakes for donating a giant white chocolate cookie and cupcakes 

Sundae Surprise Tea Parties for donating a selection of vegan cakes, gluten free chocolate brownies and cupcakes 

Have a Slice for donating delicious cupcakes

And an additional thank you to everyone who donated gifts and money and supported us on all our charity events and fundraisers, we massively appreciate you.