The Duchess of Sussex has taken part in her first engagement after stepping back from royal life with husband, Prince Harry, last month. Meghan jumped on a Zoom call from LA with the women from the Hubb Community Kitchen on Tuesday, to throw her support behind a new campaign they've launched to feed Londoners during the coronavirus lockdown.
With the help of the Felix Project, who is supplying the kitchen with produce, the women are starting a new service to deliver 250 to 300 meals to families in the capital, three days a week, starting on Monday. Deliveries will be supported by another charity the Sussexes work with, Street Games, and the service is part of the Evening Standard's 'Food for London now' campaign.
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WATCH: Meghan speaks to the women of the Hubb Community Kitchen on Zoom call
During the call, the Duchess got to speak with some of the women from the Hubb Community Kitchen – including Kitchen Manager, Leila Hedjem, Cherine Mallah, Halima Al-Hudafi, Oxana Sinitsyna and Jennifer Odonkor.
Meghan told the women during the call: "You all had it in you and what was so great is after that first day and then however many visits later, and going 'yeah we’re just going to make a book', and not realising, knowing and having a lot of faith in what you guys could bring to the table, and what you could inspire but obviously not knowing what a huge success it was going to be. That is just a testament to you, and what I love is it's just inspired so many people."
For one of her first solo royal projects in 2018, the Duchess visited the Hubb Community Kitchen at the Al Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre in West London, which was supporting families in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy. Meghan has continued to make regular private visits and championed the kitchen's 'Together' cookbook, which features personal recipes from the women involved. Proceeds from the book went towards the redesign of the Hubb Community Kitchen and has enabled it to be open for seven days a week.
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© Photo: Getty ImagesMeghan during one of her visits to the Hubb Community Kitchen
The Duchess spoke of her pride of the women, saying: "The spirit of the Hubb Community Kitchen has always been one of caring, giving back, and helping those in need, initially in Grenfell and now throughout the UK. A home cooked meal from one neighbour to another, when they need it most, is what community is all about.
"I'm so proud of the women of the Hubb Community Kitchen, and the continued support the Felix Project gives them to carry out these acts of goodwill, which at this moment in time are urgently needed. I’m equally moved by the many people who are contributing to the Evening Standard's campaign to raise money for these vital organisations in the wake of COVID-19."
It comes after Harry and Meghan were spotted delivering meals to the vulnerable in West Hollywood earlier this week, after volunteering with Project Angel Food.
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