1 Fareshare Slicesfareshare Slices a Healthy Slice of Fareshare Volunteer News Coronavirus Emergency Response Special Edition Hello...2 Fareshare Slices
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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 Tesco, the coronavirus crisis. up with timely Asda, 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, London 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.