FareShare receives financial boost from Aberdeen Charitable Foundation
In a week when the issue of waste of ‘in-date’ food has been highlighted, a donation which will help deliver more than 34,000 meals has been announced. The sum of £8,613 has been granted to the FareShare charity by the Aberdeen Charitable Foundation to continue their work in distributing good surplus food from waste to over 200 charities across London. FareShare redistributes food from many partners including food producers and manufacturers, retailers and hospitality firms including Birds Eye, Coca-Cola, Asda, Tesco, Innocent, Nestle, Kellogg’s, Sainsbury’s and Bidvest.
FareShare redistributes thousands of tonnes of surplus, fit for consumption food from the food and drink industry to nearly 7,000 charities and community projects across the UK and Northern Ireland. These frontline groups transform the food into nutritious meals for vulnerable people, and feed half a million people in need every week across the UK. This food would usually become part of the 270,000 tonnes of in-date food which goes to waste in the UK annually and it helps to feed in the region of 20,000 people weekly in London.
In the UK, 8.4 million people are estimated to go regularly without food and drink. By providing a communal meal, a sandwich, or a cup of tea and a biscuit, charities can often help individuals take further steps to seeking the help they need. In addition, saving this quality food from landfill also prevents thousands of tonnes of CO2 damage to the environment.
Claire Drummond, head of charitable giving at Aberdeen Charitable Foundation said, “Our staff have volunteered at FareShare previously as part of our volunteering programme. Working at picking and packing food and delivering to charities showed those who volunteered the real benefits which FareShare provides to other charities and the individuals that they support. Our London Aberdeen Charitable Foundation staff committee was keen to continue its support for FareShare with this donation of £8,613.”
Lindsey Cape, head of fundraising at FareShare said, “The support from Aberdeen Charitable Foundation will help with the annual rent for our London warehouse, helping is to build capacity so that over two million meals can be provided to London’s ‘hidden hungry’. It will assist us in the redistribution of over 1,000 tonnes of food and the Foundation’s donation equates to the direct provision of 34,452 meals.”
In addition to in date food, FareShare also accepts food which has packaging errors, seasonal stock, lines which are no longer retailed, manufacturing errors, foreign label stock and damages. FareShare accepts a wide range of foods including meat, fish, eggs, dairy, fruit, vegetables, ready meals, pasta, tins, cereals and bakery goods.
Using a flexible operating model, FareShare can respond to surplus food as it arises whether on a regular basis or in one off spikes in demand. The capacity of the FareShare warehouse, which is being supported by this donation, means that the charity can hold large deliveries without having to rush to use up stock to free up space. The food is then delivered by a small army of volunteer drivers to hundreds of different charities such as homeless hostels, domestic violence refuges, breakfast clubs for disadvantaged children, lunch clubs for older people and drug and alcohol misuse rehabilitation services.
More about the work of FareShare can be found here www.fareshare.org.uk, including how individuals can make one off or regular donations to the work of FareShare.
The Aberdeen Charitable Foundation was established in 2012 to formalise and develop the Group’s charitable giving globally. The Foundation seeks partnerships with smaller charities around the world, where funds can be seen to have a meaningful and measurable impact. For more information visit: http://aboutus.aberdeen-asset.com/en/aboutus/responsible-business/aberdeen-charitable