Food charity benefits from Gloucestershire cheese rolling race winner’s prize

Ava Sender Logan won the woman’s race in the annual Gloucestershire cheese rolling event. By Lynn Rusk, first published in the Evening Standard 5.5.25

The winning Double Gloucester was used by volunteers at Refugee Community Kitchen to prepare a meal (Lynn Rusk/PA)

The winner of an annual cheese rolling race in Gloucestershire has donated her prize to a food charity in London.

Ava Sender Logan, 20, who won the women’s race by tumbling down Cooper’s Hill in Brockworth last month, was racing for Refugee Community Kitchen, which supports displaced people in northern France and homeless people in London and Edinburgh.

The biochemistry student beat 25 other female contestants to win an 8lb (3kg) wheel of Double Gloucester, a semi-hard cheese renowned for its strong and savoury flavour.

Ava Sender Logan won the women’s race at the Gloucestershire cheese rolling event (Issac Tartaglia/PA)

Miss Sender Logan, who volunteers for Refugee Community Kitchen, said it was a “full circle moment” to see the winning cheese being used to help feed rough sleepers in north London.

Miss Sender Logan told the PA news agency: “It’s a full-circle moment. It’s really sweet. The cheese has travelled from Gloucestershire to Oxford to London to the kitchen.

“The cheese is delicious, so I’m really happy people can try it.”

Miss Sender Logan, who was a first-time competitor in the annual daredevil competition, said she was stunned when she won.

“I was trying to hold my head, stay on my feet as much as I could, but there’s only so much you can do,” she said.

“I was bruised, I was battered but there were no broken bones.”

Refugee Community Kitchen distributes hundreds of meals a week and has won a number of prestigious awards, including the Observer Food Monthly’s outstanding achievement award.

The charity, which was set up by four friends in 2015, has been serving “nutritious food without judgment” to those fleeing war, poverty, persecution and climate change for a decade.

Ava Sender Logan preparing her winning cheese at Refugee Community Kitchen in London (Sam Jones/PA)

Co-founder Sam Jones said: “It’s a really nice kind of full circle to have the cheese that rolled down the hill, the Double Gloucester that’s going into a cauliflower and broccoli cheese that’s going out to the street today.

“We’ve got about 85 to 90 people that will be scoffing that up in Archway in north London.

“It really fills us full of joy and satisfaction to be able to do that. We’re deeply indebted to Ava for putting her life and limbs on the line to get the cheese.”

Mr Jones said he hopes Miss Sender Logan’s support will help raise awareness of the work the charity does.

“We’ve served four and a half million meals in London and in Calais over the last 10 years, so we’re just really chuffed to have people on board to do this amazing fundraising and to raise awareness of our charity,” he said.

The Gloucestershire cheese-rolling race has been celebrated for centuries and is thought to have its roots in a heathen festival to celebrate the return of spring.

This year, there were seven races in all, two of them in memory of former cheese rolling winners who have since died.

You can donate to Miss Sender Logan’s fundraiser here.

URGENT Winter Appeal

As temperatures plummet, people on the move face unimaginable challenges. Living in freezing conditions with compromised immune systems, they urgently need warm, nutritious meals to sustain them.

At RCK, our volunteers are working tirelessly to provide hot, nourishing food to those in desperate need, but we can’t do it alone. Your support is critical to helping us keep our kitchens running this winter.

Please donate to our Winter Fundraiser today, for just the price of a cup of coffee you can provide 2 hot meals today.

Click below to donate

London 2024 round-up

A HUGE thank you to everyone who made 2024 such an impactful year for RCK London! Together, we prepped, cooked, washed, peeled, served, made tea, drove, washed rice, peeled bananas, and so much more to make it all happen. This year, we served a whopping 27,533 meals!

These meals were distributed at our Camden, Archway, Goodge Street, Swiss Cottage, Old Street, Bethnal Green, and Brixton services, as well as to the Gospel Oak Living Room and Spring Board Youth Academy.

We are endlessly grateful to our incredible supporters and volunteers—you are the driving force behind everything we do.

Special thanks to Felix Project and City Harvest for providing surplus food every week, enabling us to serve hot, nourishing meals to vulnerable families, young asylum seekers, and people sleeping on the streets of London. This winter, your support has been critical in bringing warmth, care, and sustenance to those facing the hardest circumstances.

Reflecting on this year, we’re overwhelmed by the compassion and solidarity of our community. Together, we’ve made a tangible difference—one meal at a time. As we step into 2025, let’s keep this vital work going.

Thank you for standing with us.

@thefelixproject @cityharvestlondon

International Migrants Day

Today is International Migrants Day

RCK stands in solidarity with migrants worldwide and remains dedicated to supporting those enduring extreme hardship in Northern France. Every day, thousands of people—many fleeing war, persecution, and poverty—are forced to live in makeshift camps, facing malnutrition, harsh conditions worsened by the winter cold, and relentless disruptions from French authorities.

We remain committed to providing hot, nutritious meals to those who need them most. Food is more than nourishment – it’s dignity, connection, and care.

On this day, we recognise the strength, resilience, and humanity of all migrants. We stand with you.

If you’d like to support our work and show solidarity, please see the link below nto donate to our winter fundraiser, or volunteer your time in one of our kitchens.

Charitable Roots

We are proud to continue our ongoing collaboration with Charitable Roots, extending our food service to reach communities in Dunkirk. Together, we are committed to providing nutritious meals and essential support to those facing hardship.

This partnership strengthens our collective ability to make a difference, ensuring that more people have access to the food and care they deserve.

Thank you to @charitableroots, our volunteers, and everyone involved for helping us serve those in need.

Rice, rice, rice

Currently, Refugee Community Kitchen is buzzing with activity, using 120 kgs of rice every day in Calais, as well as 15kgs a day in London.

We are calling on our supporters to be a vital part of our mission: For £1296, you can sponsor one pallet of rice (that’s a tonne of basmati rice!), contributing to the sustenance and well-being of countless individuals in our community.

One of our core values is preserving the cultural identity of the communities we serve.

With pride, we exclusively use Basmati rice, recognising its importance in the rich tapestry of diverse cultures. Your support not only nourishes bodies but also honours the traditions and heritage of those who seek refuge in our community.

If you can spare any amount, we would be so grateful 🙏

With love and gratitude, RCK