FareShare

LucyA44

Hello All

I have been a member for a while, but totally forgot my details so have had to set up again, so I think this will be my first post as LucyA44.

Anyway, I love these OS boards and have found them invaluable over the years, so I thought I should try and give back.

I volunteer once a week with a charity called FareShare. It's a charity close to my heart as it takes food that would otherwise be wasted either by the supermarkets, large caterers (eg Brakes) and also food fairs. Most of it only has a short life, which can then be distributed to homeless charities, shelters, people in need etc. We actually also got all the leftovers from the Olympic kitchents which was very varied with a long life.

Anyway, sometimes we get food that is out of date or we get so much of something that we can distribute it out fast enough. In these instances the volunteers can take home the goodies (we're not allowed to give out of date stuff by law... but as sound minded adults we can take the risk...!). Most of it's not risky at all, for example there was loads of out of date lasagne sheets (June 2012) which would have been destroyed, but of course this is absolutely fine, so I took loads home which will last me a fair old while. Also, last week there was loads of tin tomatoes ready to be turfed out (dated Sept 2012) so I also stocked up on these.

It really is an eye opener to know what gets wasted and what can be done with this food in a positive fashion. You wouldn't believe what we get. Once, we had thousands and thousands of instant coffee given to us because ONE of the jars had smashed and no supermarket would accept it. The coffee company wouldn't bother unwrapping all the cellaphane so it came to us and we then give it away.

Anyway, there are branches of FareShare all over the country that need volunteers, so if anybody has ever thought of volunteering, I would definitely recommend it! Benefitting from all the "out of date" stuff is great on the purse also!

Hope people don't think this is a wasted or boring post, but I just wanted to let people know we're out there and if you are interested, you should take a look!

Cheerio!

Lucy

Valli

Interesting post, OP - and welcome back

here is the link for anyone interested

http://www.fareshare.org.uk/

LucyA44

Thanks Valli - that was silly of me to forget the link!

Valli

LucyA44 wrote: »

Thanks Valli - that was silly of me to forget the link!

As a new user you wouldn't have been allowed to post it - that's why I thought you hadn't;) and why I did.

sophlowe45

Do fareshare work with the bestbefore project?

their facebook page is better than their website

http://bestbefore.org.uk/category/testimonials/

https://www.facebook.com/www.bestbefore.org.uk

now I'm spending too much time on their facebook page

http://bestbefore.org.uk/2012/06/18/4-pallets-of-food-collected-only-this-weekend-thanks-to-the-passage/

http://www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?src=nl&id=22752

However, FareShare's CEO Lindsay Boswell argued that any surplus food fit for human consumption should be prioritised for charitable re-distribution - and not to do so would be "morally wrong".

"We think all the supermarkets agree with us in theory on that point, but we currently lack the management energy, willpower and effort to make it happen in reality," he told edie.

His comments build on a groundswell of support for tough measures to force supermarkets and manufacturers to donate much of their surplus food stock to charity.

Back in March a bill was debated in parliament, brought by Labour MP Kerry McCarthy, which called for legal obligations to be placed on large food waste producers to do this.

If such a bill were to be passed, Boswell admitted that there would be cost issues for charities like FareShare if they suddenly had to cope with significant increases in tonnages, but it was a challenge he would "absolutely welcome".

sophlowe45

just discovered they have a documentary too

http://bestbeforedocumentary.com/about/

http://bestbefore.org.uk/2012/06/19/meeting-kerry-mccarthy-mp-in-the-house-of-commons/

Butterfly_Brain

Unfortunately there is not one near to us

Popperwell

It scares me! Great these schemes exist but what a pity that they are needed.

I have found two in the North East, one in Newcastle Upon Tyne, now extended to Middlesborough. Like the food banks I fear so many more will need to use the service.

The Middlesborough one is not mentioned on the Fareshare website yet.