Words by Smiley Team
The FareShare network, made up of 17 independent food redistribution organisations, redistributed over 24,000 tonnes of in-date surplus food from the food industry, to 11,000 charities including domestic violence refuges, breakfast clubs, food banks and day centres, an increase of 26% on the year before, and the equivalent of a million meals a week.
Now, they are delivering an average of almost 2 million meals a week to those at risk of hunger, up from 1m before lockdown, to 11 thousand frontline charities across the UK.
Since lockdown measures began, the number of charities applying to get food has tripled. Of these, FareShare has now signed up 500 new charities, over 80% of which are delivering food parcels to families and individuals at risk of hunger. It has also secured nine additional warehouse spaces across the UK.
To meet the increased need for packets and tins to create food parcels the charity is also distributing large quantities of donated ambient food from supermarkets and the government, with thousands more tonnes of donated food being pledged by major food companies, as part of a partnership with IGD.
FareShare has also joined forces with British Red Cross, with the aim of using their volunteers, equipment and resources to help respond to the crisis. In just one week in April, more people signed up to volunteer to sort, pack and deliver food for FareShare than in the whole of last year.
FareShare CEO, Lindsay Bowell, said: “We’ve been humbled and overwhelmed by the support shown by our volunteers, corporate supporters, partners, funders, and by the thousands of people who have donated to our emergency appeal. It is because of them we have been able to rapidly scale up our response, supplying more frontline charities with food, getting more delivery vans on the road, opening new warehouses, and moving vital food supplies up and down the UK.’
‘However, we know when the crisis ends, the need for our food will still be there. In April alone 856,500 more people claimed benefits and job opportunities fell by a quarter. Many more people will fall through the gaps in society and need the support of frontline charities.’
To ensure this need is met, the organisation will need to ensure that much greater quantities of food can continue to be delivered. Incredibly, while people go hungry, over 2 million tonnes of good food is wasted every year in the supply chain. Last year the government piloted a fund that covered the costs to the producer of harvesting, packing and transporting surplus food that is still perfectly good to eat to frontline charities.
Now FareShare is calling on the government to continue this funding. Bowell notes that ‘this will enable us to unlock enough fresh food, much of it fresh fruit and veg, to double the volume of food we deliver to organisations supporting vulnerable people - not just over the course of the crisis but in the difficult months to come.’
To support FareShare’s work, you can volunteer for one of their roles or donate to ensure that they can get food to those who need it most.
By Ellen Jones
