SummerFareShare 2019 Slices1 A healthy slice of FareShare volunteer news Issue 8 Winter 2020/2021

Help us stay Covid-19 safe Take me home, don’t share me w

Hello...2 Winter 2020/2021 3 As we enter 2021, I want to thank each of you for your hard work during a period of unprecedented challenges. I’d like to share a message from Keeping safe someone who donated over the Christmas period: “I appreciate the time your volunteers give to supporting the distribution of food... I cannot at FareShare give the time but hope this small donation recognises their efforts and works towards At FareShare we take the wellbeing and safety of our supporting those most in need.” volunteers very seriously. You will notice that there are The past year was difficult in many ways, but we can Hannah Feld rules in place in the warehouse about how we operate, be proud of what we have achieved as the FareShare particularly around deliveries and collection, and that Network: doubling the amount of food we redistribute and you’ll now be working in smaller teams than before. raising more awareness of our cause than ever before. Thanks to all of you we’ve risen to the challenges of the past year, and will be better able to navigate those still to come. In In line with the increased lockdown measures, we have put in place This issue, we’ll look at how the FareShare Network has extra safety protocols to reduce the risk of transmitting Covid-19 and grown in 2020 – including our new partnership with this help halt the spread of the new, more contagious Coronavirus strain. based food redistribution charity the Felix Project, and a We are asking our staff and volunteers to please do the following: government grant which is helping us to reach more issue people than ever before. • Wear a face mask. This is mandatory except in cases of medical exemption. Thank you once again for all the time and effort Keeping safe • Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your elbow (not your you have given to FareShare throughout 2020. at FareShare 3 hands) when you cough or sneeze • Put used tissues in the bin immediately • Avoid close contact with people who are unwell Hannah Feld Network news Senior Volunteering Development Officer • Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean [email protected] 4 • Wash your hands with soap and water thoroughly and often. Use 020 7394 2462 How Footprints is making hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available. a mark in ... 6 Introducing The Felix Project When you come into the warehouse you will now see: 8 • Information about local safety measures • Information on how to clean your hands properly Catching up with Roger and Ann and when they should be cleaned 10 • Suitable soaps and hand sanitisers that kill the virus. FareShare grant from Defra11 If you have any questions, concerns or feedback about these Two minutes with... Sam procedures please talk to your shift lead or regional volunteer 12 manager. You can also email [email protected]

This magazine is printed on 100% recycled paper 4 FareShare Slices Winter 2020/2021 5 How FareShare FareShare Greater gets a Royal visit helped Give FareShare Greater was broadcast to a Little Love Manchester a zoom audience to families hosted a Royal of FareShare in need at visit from the staff across the Christmas Duke and Duchess UK. CEO Lindsay of Cambridge on Boswell remarked Over the Christmas 7 December. Their that the visit will period, the Give Royal Highnesses help “motivate all a Little Love praised of us at FareShare Campaign – a FareShare’s to continue to collaboration commitment tackle the issues between John Lewis, FareShare Cymru recognised at to fighting head on, [and] Waitrose, FareShare, Volunteer Awards food waste and as John Lewis, Waitrose, continue to shine and homelessness hunger throughout and Kelloggs. The a light on the lack of charity Homestart FareShare Cymru was the network, who the coronavirus evening was capped off access to healthy food – helped raise £3m honoured at the 2020 have supported their pandemic and met with with a stirring musical faced by many millions for FareShare, Third Sector communities through volunteers, staff, and performance by Wayne of our citizens in this Homestart and Council Volunteer the pandemic. Phil representatives from Ellington and Manchester country.” other local charities. Awards as the biggest Pinder, Volunteering FareShare’s partners such Inspirational Voices, which The campaign was provider of volunteering Officer & Project highlighted in this hours. They were Officer at FareShare year’s John Lewis also nominated for Cymru remarked that Christmas advert volunteering group of “it’s always great for No one should go hungry this Christmas and gave people a the year. The award is a our volunteers to get variety of ways to credit to the incredible recognition from C3SC, After a really tough donate. volunteers at FareShare who have many of our Cymru, and across local CFMs as members.” year for many families, FareShare launched its own New FareShare Northern Ireland Christmas Appeal to raise funds and keep warehouse mural pays tribute to helping people in volunteers need over the winter. FareShare Northern Rocks. The captivating Sir Alex Ferguson Ireland now boasts mural incorporates and Sir Michael a striking Volunteer FareShare’s iconic Moritz, who have Appreciation Mural. The green apple into joined FareShare and communities, update on the impact artwork was created an apple tree, with Marcus Rashford’s generously agreed of the campaign in by local street artist volunteer names fight to tackle to match donations due course. Visual Waste at the written along the roots hunger in the to the campaign. request of Volunteer to highlight their vital most vulnerable We will provide an Manager Siobhan support. 6 FareShare Slices Winter 2020/2021 7 How Footprints is making a mark in Belfast Eileen Wilson tells us how surplus food is helping women and families in crisis

For nearly 30 years, reducing the overall cost we get from FareShare Footprints Women’s of our service.” is fabulous and really Centre in Belfast has helps us provide them been helping support Footprints is the only with healthy meals. For women and families daycare of its kind in young children nutrition in crisis. “We always the area and works to is vitally important. It has Photos of Footprints say that our youngest ensure that children a huge impact on their Womens Centre in Belfast member is six weeks and are being supported at brain development, their our oldest is 92,” says a critical stage in their growth, even their sleep service for an additional say that providing “Christmas brings extra Eileen Wilson, Food patterns. For some of 20 families to replace our healthy nutritious food challenges for people Services Manager at “The variety of food the babies that come in Community Café.” is a route into the Centre close to poverty or Footprints. and the fresh fruit we’re actually helping for people in need. It struggling with mental and veg we get wean them onto solid Footprints’ Covid provides immediate health. We’ve had a lot FareShare has been food for the first time.” response, for which support to people in of new requests come in helping Footprints from FareShare is Eileen was nominated for poverty, but it also gives since November – people provide food for over fabulous and really Like many community an Aisling Award, made who’ve been furloughed 8 years. “The food groups, Footprints “We always say helps us provide a huge difference for or lost jobs. We’ve got from FareShare is such had to adjust to a families hit hard by the that providing food hampers ready to an immense support,” [the children] with new reality during the pandemic. “People have healthy nutritious go, with activity packs attests Eileen, “Our healthy meals” pandemic: “I have to told us it really improved for kids and seniors. Daycare provides say, FareShare were what their family would food is a route We’re also getting meals for 55 children development, providing really amazing when have eaten,” says Eileen, into the Centre for turkeys, gammons, all every day. Before Covid, a light breakfast and Covid hit. They helped “as well as their sense people in need.” kinds of lovely food in our Community Café was snack as well as a hot us deliver ten kilos of connection to the from FareShare at the visited by 200 women a main meal. “We get of food a week to 50 community and their people a non-threatening Social Supermarket, so week, including youth all kinds of breads, vulnerable families, mental health. It was a way to get in contact people will be able to and seniors’ groups, and pancakes, fresh fruit over 200 individuals. We really important way of with us and feel safe have a good holiday our Social Supermarket is and veg, ambient food did that for 22 weeks staying in touch.” opening up about other shop.” used by 80 women each like pasta and lentils. while we modified our problems we can support week. FareShare helps Today the main meal was Social Supermarket Footprints’ community them with.” Through the busyness, us save approximately roast chicken and veg, so we could reopen faces challenges ranging Eileen sees the bright 30% on our food budget, but we also do curries, with appropriate social from domestic violence When we spoke with side: “It’s positive in a and that money can then stews, pies,” says Eileen, distancing measures. We to isolation. For many, Eileen, Footprints was way because we know go to our overheads “the variety of food and also ran another ready- food is a gateway to just gearing up for the we’re reaching people in – paying our bills and the fresh fruit and veg made meal delivery getting help: “We always busy Christmas season: need.” 8 FareShare Slices Winter 2020/2021 9 Introducing The Felix Project Our new delivery partner in London helps us reach more people in need

The Felix Project national government. week since March last is a London food The two organisations year. redistribution waste were already working charity set up in 2016. closely together before Becoming part of the Like FareShare, the the Felix Project became FareShare network organisation redistributes a delivery partner; means that the Felix good quality surplus through the collaborative Project will benefit from food to charities and work of the London FareShare’s links with community groups across Food Alliance, which was the food industry, in the capital with the help addition to the food that of volunteers. “For FareShare, the Felix Project sources the partnership itself. For FareShare, the The Felix Project is the enables us to reach partnership enables us to latest organisation even more people reach even more people to join the FareShare in need, at a time in need, at a time when network, as a delivery the economic impact of Father-son Felix Project volunteers John and Matt get ready for their delivery route. partner for London. when the economic the pandemic affects The charity has taken impact of the more organisations and over the operation of pandemic affects households across the has secured a second Elsewhere in the operation in , FareShare’s warehouse more organisations UK. warehouse unit that, network, FareShare Aberdeenshire and in Depford, south and households when refurbishments South West and Moray - has also London, and has across the UK.“ London isn’t the only are completed, will FareShare Scotland have extended deliveries expanded FareShare’s region where the enable the Regional also expanded into into the Highlands as reach by connecting its launched to respond to FareShare network Centre to more than new regions. Last year, part of its response to existing two warehouses the Covid-19 crisis, since is expanding, either. triple the amount of FareShare South West the Covid-19 crisis and in North and West the start of the pandemic Across the UK, 11 food it distributes to partnered with Exeter growing demand for London to our network. they have worked Regional Centres took local charities and Food Action to grow food in the area. together to reach as on additional warehouse community groups. This its reach for the first FareShare and The Felix many people in need units to respond to development has been time across Devon and Project both seek to as possible across the growing demand due to made possible thanks Cornwall, with charities combat hunger and food city – with volunteers at the Covid-19 crisis. to support from Marcus from both counties now If you have a story waste in the UK, working the Deptford warehouse One example is Rashford and funding regularly collecting you’d like to see in the closely with the food having more than FareShare Greater from Asda through the food orders. Whereas magazine, please send industry, the voluntary doubled the amount of Manchester – operated Fight Hunger Create in Scotland, CFINE - it in to volunteering@ sector and regional and food distributed each by EMERGE – which Change partnership. which runs FareShare’s fareshare.org.uk 10 FareShare Slices Winter 2020/2021 11 Catching up with FareShare grant from Defra In December FareShare recieved a second grant fro the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). The grant will be used to Roger and Ann from The purchase food Between December 2020 and February 2021. Felix Project What is it? Roger and Ann were Days at Felix are filled The winter grant is a £16m scheme which aims to ensure vulnerable volunteers before their with work as well people, who are most impacted by Covid-19, access to food across England retirement, but stepped as special moments. this winter. The government-funded scheme will enable FareShare to things up as they moved Roger recalls a woman distribute over 7,600 tonnes of vital food supplies - the equivalent of away from full-time who spotted their around 18 million meals - to over 4,000 charities and community groups. work. In 2018 Roger van knocking at their began volunteering window with a box of as a delivery driver cakes: “She told me she Why was FareShare chosen for this?

with the Felix Project, had gone through a FareShare is the largest operation of its kind in the UK, with 25 years’ FareShare’s new delivery difficult time a couple experience safely redistributing food. We have a robust infrastructure partner in London. Ann of years before and the and, thanks to the support of our volunteers, more capacity than soon joined him in the Felix food had helped ever before to accept and redistribute food. The winter grant follows van as his “glamorous her through, she insisted from the success of the similar grant given to FareShare in the assistant”, as she puts it I take the cakes back to summer of 2020 to support charities through the Covid-19 crisis. laughingly. the warehouse.”

The couple’s “It helps us feel How are we going to do it? volunteering gives them that we’re making a FareShare is purchasing food from across the an opportunity to work strongly recommend positive contribution,” food industry using the grant, and working with on a range of tasks such volunteering: “We tell continues Ann, “we’re suppliers to redistribute stock through our Regional as gleaning, in addition friends they need to be using existing skills and Centres and onto frontline charities nationwide. to their delivery routes. flexible and ready to do learning new ones, it “It certainly gets us mundane tasks as well keeps us fit and active, out and about, and has as the more interesting we meet people and Who is it going to help? been a great motivator,” jobs, but that it’s see bits of London and The grant is intended to support the charity sector through the Roger says, “it’s good rewarding work that the country we didn’t pandemic. Many organisations have experienced higher demand for to get on the road and keeps us on our toes. know before – especially their services, whilst being placed under increasing financial pressures meet people at charities, The team at Felix Park through gleaning. All due to the economic impact of the pandemic. The grant will help warehouses, farms, and Royal are amazing – these things have been support the charity sector by enabling FareShare to distribute more supermarkets. They supportive, committed, doubly valuable during food through our network and onto frontline charities across England. work so hard under always positive and the testing times of the difficult circumstances, friendly. And the craic last 12 months. We are we admire them in the volunteers’ room tired but happy after a We know that with these high volumes of food being redistributed, hugely.” usually brightens the shift!” volunteers in our warehouses are busier than ever. We can’t thank Both Roger and Ann day.” you enough for your support during this difficult time, helping us reach more people with more food than ever before. 12

Two minutes with... Sam

Each issue, we’ll be finding out more about one of our amazing volunteers. This time, we’ve got Sam from FareShare Northern Ireland.

Who has been the greatest influence on your life? My mum, who was so loving and giving and good to me.

What do you consider your greatest achievement and why? Becoming a volunteer. First at the City hospital, helping in the mobile library, and then joining FareShare 5 years ago.

Where would you most like to go on holiday and why? Disneyland, Florida, to meet Mickey and Minnie mouse.

What’s your favourite thing to have on toast? Cheese and tomato.

What is the most important object you own? My most precious object is photographs of my mum and dad.

Tea or coffee? How do you take it? Milky tea!