Charity seeks more support in bid to tackle economic crisis
SURPLUS food redistributor FareShare says it has seen a soaring demand for its services due to the cost-of-living crisis.
As a result, the charity is appealing for more “food partners” to sign up to work with the organisation.
A FareShare spokesperson said: “Our existing food partners continue to do all they can to help provide us with surplus food, and we are enormously grateful for their support.
“We know that they already work hard to divert as much surplus food as possible to FareShare but, in recent months, demand has reached unprecedented levels, which means the supplies are struggling to keep up.
“We would like to invite any food manufacturers, suppliers, retailers, farmers or growers to get in touch with us to see how we can help them unlock their surplus food. We believe that good food should go to people that need it, rather than letting it go to waste.”
Rescuing good-to-eat food that would otherwise be wasted, FareShare supplies surplus produce to about 500 charities and community groups in Scotland.
Last year, it redistributed around 3,720 tonnes of surplus food north of the border – the equivalent of 8.8million meals. The group has received extra winter hardship funding from ScotGov this year to help it meet local needs.
It is also supporting work to develop a national plan to end the need for food banks, which is about ensuring people have enough money to avoid crisis.
The groups FareShare helps see first-hand the detrimental impact of the rising cost of food, energy bills, fuel, rent, and childcare on people struggling to make ends meet.
The spokesperson added: “While our food partners are doing everything they can to support us, we cannot meet the skyrocketing demand caused by the cost-of-living crisis.
“Unfortunately, this is likely to continue and, the longer it persists, the longer demand for food will remain at exceptionally high levels.”
Supply chain problems, rising energy costs, the war in Ukraine and poor harvests due to adverse weather have all affected the availability of surplus food for redistribution.
The spokesperson said: “Our priority is always to focus on supporting the charities and communities we work with by getting as much surplus food to them as possible and to enable the fantastic services they provide.
“We recognise that much of the food we provide represents more than just a meal – in many cases, it acts as a gateway to a wide range of support services.”
10m meal milestone for Albert Bartlett
POTATO supplier Albert Bartlett has donated the equivalent of 10million meals to FareShare since it began working with the charity in 2021.
The firm, which has its headquarters in Airdrie, has now diverted a total of 4,200 tonnes of surplus produce to FareShare. This has been redistributed to help feed people in need across the country.
Through FareShare, 4,433 charities across the UK received Albert Bartlett potatoes in the last year alone – supporting a range of people including those on low income, families and those experiencing homelessness.
One recipient is Empty Kitchens Full Hearts in Edinburgh, where volunteers and staff turn them into hot meals or add them to food parcels.
“Potatoes are a staple of our dishes at Empty Kitchens Full Hearts – a favourite of mine is our leek and potato soup, which we make 150 litres of at a time,” says the Edinburgh group’s Luke Ball.
John Heginbottom, Albert Bartlett sales director, said: “We are delighted to partner with FareShare, who distribute our carrots and potatoes to over 4,000 charities across the UK and support us in our drive to reduce food waste.”
Lindsay Boswell, FareShare chief executive, said: “We’re incredibly grateful for our partnership with Albert Bartlett. Their support has enabled us to provide 10million meals’ worth of good-to-eat surplus to the million-plus people our network of charities supports across the UK.”
