1 FareShare SlicesFareShare Slices A healthy slice of FareShare volunteer news Coronavirus Emergency Response Special Edition Hello...2 FareShare Slices

As we face up to the coronavirus crisis, we’re determined to do everything we can to continue getting food out to charities and community groups. And we couldn’t do that without the incredible support of our volunteers. Over the last two months we’ve been overwhelmed by your Hannah Feld commitment and tireless hard work, as we find ourselves providing a frontline response in the form of vital food supplies. Thank you. We also want to thank the thousands of new volunteers who have signed up to help. To all our new volunteers we offer you the warmest of FareShare welcomes.

Across the UK, charities must now drastically change the way they get food onto people’s plates, often with only a few days notice. In this issue of FareShare Slices we talk to Shropshire’s Connect In Aid Food Project, which is providing a safe place for families in need to collect fresh food (pg. 6) and Bradford’s Safety First this CTC, which is now delivering hot, healthy meals to those who are most vulnerable (pg. 10). issue

More than ever, thank you for everything you do, Keeping safe Hannah at FareShare 3

Volunteering Development Officer Network news [email protected] 4 A community pulls togther in Shropshire 6 Marcus Rashford partners with FareShare 8

Safety First CTC deliver ‘Bags of help’ to Bradford10 Volunteer Spotlight11 Two minutes with...12 3 FareShare Slices Keeping safe at FareShare

At FareShare we take the wellbeing and safety of our volunteers very seriously. You will notice that there are new rules in place in the warehouse about how we operate, particularly around deliveries and collection, and that you’ll now be working in smaller teams. If you have any questions or concerns about these procedures please talk to your shift lead or regional volunteer manager.

To keep other volunteers safe and reduce the risk of transmitting Covid-19 we are asking that all our staff and volunteers please do the following:

• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your elbow (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze • Put used tissues in the bin immediately • Try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell • Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean • Thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water often – use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available

When you come into the warehouse you will now see:

• Information when you arrive so you can check whether you should or should not be in the building • Information on how to clean your hands properly and when they should be cleaned • Suitable anti-viral soaps and hand sanitisers that kill the virus • New procedures on advice on handling food safely 4 FareShare Slices Scottish Children’s Lottery helps FareShare respond to COVID-19

The Scottish Children’s Lottery has donated £100k of immediate Major supermarkets get behind funding to help FareShare reach the FareShare most vulnerable Our supermarket of £500,000, £5m, families impacted by partners have stepped and £3m from , the coronavirus crisis. up with timely , and Sainsbury’s, Gillian Kynoch, head donations to help us respectively, will help of FareShare Scotland, fund our operations FareShare to support reports that “we’re during the coronavirus our local food heroes delighted to receive crisis. We face a host in reaching as many funding from the of logistical challenges people in need as Scottish Children’s as we work to get possible. We have also Lottery, which will help more and more food received generous us all rise to what is delivered safely during donations of food the biggest challenge this crisis. Donations from Tesco and Co-op. we have ever faced.”

Food distribution rises in response to crisis Thanks to our signed up 500 more when the crisis ends, volunteers and charities across the UK it’s likely many more partners, FareShare and our supermarket families will face food is rising to meet partners are donating insecurity. the unprecedented millions more pounds challenges of the worth of food. Together we will to COVID-19 crisis. Since continue to deliver the crisis began, in just We know that there vital food supplies to under three months is still work to be support vulnerable we have doubled the done. The number people - not just over amount of food we’re of charities applying the course of the crisis getting to frontline for our help has but also in the difficult charities. We’ve also tripled and, even months to come. 5 FareShare Slices Co-op dedicates Easter ad campaign to FareShare This April, the Co-op worth of airtime. It also devoted their Easter provided viewers with ad campaign to a number that they highlighting their could text to donate £10 partnership with directly to FareShare, and FareShare. The advert, encouraged shoppers to which pays tribute to donate at Co-op tills. local food heroes, was created in collaboration Meritxell Jimenez, with FareShare FareShare’s Marketing specifically to respond Manager, praised the to the coronavirus crisis. quick efforts of the Co-Op and FareShare “I’m delighted we can teams in putting make it easy for our together this campaign: shoppers to donate “The advert itself was what they can to help created in less than a FareShare and its very week. We love how own band of local everyone came together heroes,” said Co-op to make it happen so retail CEO Jo Whitfield. quickly and of course we The advert represented couldn’t be happier with a donation of £2.5m the result.”

FareShare to open eight new warehouse spaces We have secured additional food in particular.” We are hoping warehouse space for eight to secure more warehouses across FareShare regional centres: Kent, the country, and wish to thank the the Thames Valley, Cymru, the many generous supporters and Midlands, the North East, South donors who are helping to make West, and Merseyside. this possible! Many of these spaces have been secured pro bono. FareShare Project Manager Nathan Au comments, “we’re extremely grateful to all the businesses who have stepped up to offer up vital warehouse space, helping us deal with a significant increase in ambient 6 FareShare Slices A community pulls together in Shropshire

Connect Aid’s Food Share Project in Shropshire is just one of many community organisations across the UK working hard to ensure people in need don’t go hungry during the coronavirus pandemic. FareShare Slices talks to Lea Bevan, their Project Lead.

Connect Aid Food to continue providing to only take what they Share started off as a food to people in the absolutely need – if they pop-up pantry project, community: “We are have something already working to redistribute now situated in one at home, we ask them surplus food that fixed place and set up as to not take it. We’re also would otherwise have a sterile location, with getting referrals directed gone to waste to local everything being cleaned from council enquiries families. Because of the every couple of hours asking if people can coronavirus crisis, this with disinfectant. come to us for food, so volunteer run project we’re directing everyone “We’re using a new to our Facebook page or “We’re set up like booking system, via Booksy app where they a market, there’s Booksy, so people can can book in a time slot. a bread table, one book a time slot to come “We’re also for veg, one for and pick up food. We’re offering a drive treats.” set up like a market, there’s a bread table, one through service is now providing food for veg, one for treats. for isolated and from a new location People come in at their disabled clients.” at Park Lane Centre in allotted time, they have Woodside, after putting to use sanitiser when “People are asked not in place special measures they come in. We have to just turn up because to comply with social ropes around the tables if there are too many distancing guidelines. and are asking people people here at a time we not to touch any of the run the risk of being shut Lea Beven, project food. down. leader and founder of Connect Aid, explains “We are in crisis mode “We’re also offering a how they have adapted so we’re asking people drive through service for 7 FareShare Slices

isolated and disabled an extra fridge to store they’ve got nothing in clients and have a coned some of the food we at home. Everyone is area outside. People can received from other soldiering on and pulling pull up in their cars and retailers, like Burger together to help.” we will take the food out King. We’re trying to to them. only give out these items During this challenging when we sense there is a time FareShare is “Just today, we’ve got need for an extra meal. facing a hugely 48 clients coming to pick increased demand for food up but we’re having “Every day we’ve got food. In just under to limit it to one slot per people coming in that three months we’re doubled the amount family, otherwise there are bringing us to tears. of food we’re getting just wouldn’t be enough If they get a chance to to charities and this food for everyone who have a quick chat with would not have been needs it. us, many of them are possible without our “We’ve also had to buy telling us they’ve had volunteers. Thank you. two large freezers and to come to us because 8 FareShare Slices Marcus Rashford partners with FareShare

The Premier League star helps children at risk of hunger during coronavirus crisis, raising over £180,000. We find out more.

Keen to help children a post on his Instagram: who might go hungry “Across the UK there as a result of school are over 32,000 schools. closures, Tomorrow all of these United star Marcus will close. Many of Rashford partnered the children attending with FareShare to these schools rely on encourage his followers free meals. on social media to donate to “No children “So I’ve spent FareShare’s should have to the last few emergency days talking to worry where coronavirus organisations appeal. He their next meal to understand also made is coming from.” how this a generous deficit is going personal donation to be filled during the to the charity. In the closures. weeks following Marcus Rashford’s call “I wanted to out to fans FareShare’s understand the scale appeal raised over of the problem and £180,000, enough to now we can reach create almost a million vulnerable children. meals for vulnerable It’s not just schools. It’s children and their community centres, families. breakfast clubs, etc Marcus Rashford said in that provide the only 9 FareShare Slices

meal many kids get each I’m partnering with them shining a spotlight on day. to rework how food is our work during this distributed during the time of crisis. The money “No children should closure, with the aim raised will help us get have to worry where that no child is missed.” good food onto the their next meal is coming plates of vulnerable from. FareShare’s Commercial families. ” Director, Alyson Walsh, “Fareshare distributes said: “We’ve been blown food to 11,000 different away by everyone’s kind organisations across the words and donations, UK, reaching almost 1m and we can’t thank people a week. Today Marcus enough for 10 FareShare Slices Safety First CTC deliver ‘Bags of help’ to Bradford We catch up with volunteers at a community centre in Bradford using FareShare food to make sure that those who are most vulnerable have enough to eat during the Covid-19 crisis. Safety First Community the government’s advice Training Centre (CTC) is on social distancing a community education, to ensure the most training and health vulnerable people are centre based in Bradford. looked after at this time. The charity acts as a hub We have been working for unemployed people with Bradford Council in the area, supporting “We get the bulk to deliver ‘Bags of help’ single parents, job of our food from using food provided by seekers with disabilities FareShare and FareShare.” and those with English as a second language, wouldn’t be able Safety First CTC works as well as refugees and to provide this closely with 13 different asylum seekers. The service without schools, many of whom charity has been working their support.” have contacted them with FareShare Yorkshire directly to request ‘Bags for the last 18 months to of help’ for parents and provide a pay-as-you-feel students affected by the lunch. coronavirus crisis. These include refugees who Although Safety First have no direct links to CTC’s core services other community groups are now shut because or support services. The of the coronavirus working with Bradford meals are halal and outbreak, volunteers are City Council to ensure suitable for vegans too. determined to ensure those in need have food those most in need still delivered directly to their Chris says: “We get the get food and support. homes. bulk of our food from Many of the attendees Chris Graham of Safety FareShare and wouldn’t depend on the food the First CTC explains: “We be able to provide this charity provides so Safety have had to change our service without their First CTC have been model as well as follow support.” 11 FareShare Slices Volunteer spotlight Abbie Wise Abbie Wise, 20, is studying even if they got the virus, People are either too scared Spanish at Newcastle wouldn’t suffer too badly or too vulnerable to leave University. She was on a (fingers crossed). their houses, so I think it’s year abroad in Barcelona really worthwhile to make but she decided to fly back I just thought I probably sure that everyone gets fed to Lymington in Hampshire ought to do something while this is going on. as the pandemic worsened useful for society. in Spain. Unable to return to her studies, she started That’s why I joined volunteering at FareShare FareShare. I think it’s just Southern Central. a terrifying idea that some families won’t be able to Abbie says: “I’ve never get food. really thought about volunteering before, but I’ve had to come home and now I don’t have a lot to do, so I thought I’d go and see what it’s about. I was living in Spain.

I flew back to London first and then my mum lives in Lymington near , which is where I am now.

I’ve not got anything to do now at all, no online work or anything.

I felt like I should do something as an able- bodied young person who,

We need YOUR stories Has your Regional Centre held a special celebration or hit a big food milestone? Do you want to give a shout out to an ‘unsung hero’, or spread the word about a fundraising challenge? Would you like to write an article for us, or feature in our ‘volunteer spotlight’? Get in touch with FareShare Slices by calling 020 7394 2462 or email [email protected]. Two minutes with...

Each issue, we’ll be finding out more about one of our amazing volunteers. This time we’ve got Leon from FareShare Sussex in the hot seat.

Which living person do you most admire? Deborah Meaden, entrepreneur at Dragon’s Den

Which talent would you most like to have? Read minds, to know what people think (about me)

Where would you most like to live? In Malta, I went there for 4 weeks when I was 15 and really like it and also because of the weather.

What was the last film you watched? Hard to kill. I like it, Steven Seagal is a good actor.