Fareshare Food Re-Distribution

Supporting communities to relieve food poverty

The vision of Fareshare is where no good food goes to waste. A Wales where food waste is minimised and any surplus food is used to benefit those that need it most.
The aim is to divert the edible food currently treated as waste by the food manufacturers and retailers and distribute it to disadvantaged people across who can benefit by eating it.

FareShare is a tried and tested model, operating since 2004 as an independent charity in England and Scotland and today has 14 depots.

FareShare Facts

In 2009/10, the food redistributed by FareShare contributed towards more than 6.7 million meals
The FareShare Community Food Network has 600 Community Members across the UK receiving food, training and advice
Every day an average of 29,000 people benefit from the service FareShare provides
As well as redistributing food, FareShare provides a programme of education and vocational training opportunities – the Eat Well Live Well programme
More than 37,866 tonnes of waste from food and drink manufacturers in Wales was dumped in landfill in 2007.

FareShare Cymru will:

Provide quality food – surplus ‘fit for purpose’ product from the food and drink industry – to organisations working with disadvantaged people in the community
Provide training and education around the essential life skills of safe food preparation and nutrition, and warehouse employability training
Promote the message that ‘No Good Food Should Be Wasted’

The FareShare Cymru story so far …

Cylch and Environment Wales played a part in the beginning of the FareShare story in Wales. Initially a request for Cylch to help set up a FareShare scheme in Wales led to a feasibility study to have a franchise in Cardiff and was funded by a £4000 grant from Environment Wales.

Crest Co-operative was awarded £246, 926 from the Big Lottery Fund and grants from other organisations to set up the FareShare franchise in North Wales in September 2010, it was officially launched in January 2011. In just four months FareShare North Wales has donated £36, 743 of quality food to vulnerable members of society at 17 community groups across two counties. The project has also diverted 22.6 tonnes of food away from landfill.

Environment Wales awarded Crest Co-operative a 6 year management grant which has funded a voluntary coordinator for FareShare North Wales

FareShare Cymru’s future…

FareShare Cymru is now being established across Wales, supported by a Project Officer at Cylch, funded by the Future Job Fund and Intermediate Labour Market and a £1,000 start up grant from Environment Wales.

FareShare Cymru will bring FareShare to South Wales with a depot in Cardiff during 2011 with the help of a grant of £393,092 from Welsh Assembly Government

Where does the food come from?

Food will be sourced from manufacturers and retailers whose businesses generate edible food that is surplus to requirements for a wide range of reasons. This includes mislabelling, over ordering and short shelf life. At present a large amount of this is disposed of as waste, primarily in landfill.

Who gets the food?

Food will be distributed through community food members such as Huggard to disadvantaged groups such as homeless and vulnerably housed people.

For more information on FareShare Cymru you can contact us:

FareShare Cymru website www.faresharecymru.org.uk or e-mail [email protected]

FareShare North Wales, please visit www.crestcooperative.co.uk/fareshare.html
FareShare in England and Scotland, please visit www.fareshare.org.uk (‘@faresharecymru’) or facebook (‘fareshare cymru’)

FareShare Cymru is a project of Food Redistribution Wales Ltd. Food Redistribution Wales Ltd is a company limited by guarantee with charitable aims and is in the process of applying for charitable registration.

Fareshare are looking for committed people to volunteer at their depot in with full training provided. Please contact Paul Williamson at [email protected] or on 07891889713 for more information on volunteering or to offer support.