Kentish Express Ashford & District
Demand soars for food donations
Schools accept left-overs from supermarkets
A Kent charity which redistributes food due to be thrown out by supermarkets has seen a huge increase in the number of organisations it supports.
Bosses at FareShare Kent, based at Sevington, say 28 Community Food Members (CFMs) were helped in December 2015 – but last month that number rose to 101.
The food provides meals to vulnerable people through organisations such as hostels, hospices, day centres, night shelters, breakfast clubs, women’s refuges and after-school clubs.
FareShare Operations manager Craig Brown said: “It’s about fighting hunger and tackling food waste in Kent and the UK.
“All food that would be predestined for landfill at big supermarket chains is redistributed to communities who need it.
“We deal with over 100 charities now and ship out on average over 8,000 meals a week.
“We’ve seen a huge increase in CFMs. They’ve tripled in number over the last 12-18 months. Manager David Degannes with volunteers Steve Orme, Tony Sutton and Gary Hoskins, sorting a delivery from Tesco in the FareShare warehouse
“We make sure the food, that would have gone to landfill but is still really good quality, is passed onto those who need it.
Mr Brown added: “Our food partners deliver it to us, we then break it down into shippable quantities and deliver the food to where it’s needed.
“We operate in ambient and chilled produce, including meat, fresh produce right through to tins of soup and pasta.”
FareShare works in some of the most deprived areas in Kent, including Thanet, Sheerness, and parts of Swale. He added: “We supply food to breakfast clubs in schools right through to hospices and end-of-life care all at a very good cost.
“We make sure children and vulnerable people get the food they need.”
Demand is now increasing and around 40 charities are waiting to be enrolled onto the scheme.
FareShare serves a large part of the county and there are plans to expand to every town – but to do that they need volunteers.
Ian Townsend Blazier, business development manager at FareShare’s parent charity Children and Families, said: “We have volunteers who help deliver food to the customers, warehouse work, and make sure we are clean.
“We also work with disability organisations and Standford Hill Prison on a ‘working out’ scheme.
“It sees prisoners who are due to be released back into the community and offer them training in a range of things, including food hygiene, health and safety and fork lift licences. Right, volunteer Rod Maynard
“We find their work ethos is really great. They’re vital to how we operate.
“We constantly look for volunteers to be able to help us cope with demand and as we plan to grow.”
Hazel Brewer is head teacher at West Minster Primary School in Sheerness, which receives food from FareShare for its breakfast club.
She said: “We are aware that children should be eating healthy food and with FareShare we are able to provide that.
“Without FareShare we wouldn’t be able to afford most of the produce we are able to offer like fruit, vegetables and cereals, which are all excellent quality.
“Many of the yogurts we receive still have several weeks left on them before they are out of date.
“If we didn’t do this club children wouldn’t come to school with a breakfast inside them.” Watch our video package via www.kentonline.co.uk/Ashford