AROUND TOWN
Waste not, want not
If ever there was a more paradoxical issue in current times, it is that of excessive amounts of food pilling up on landfill sites and the rising number of people in the UK struggling to put food on the table.
It is mind-boggling to think that over eight million people in the UK are going hungry or living in food poverty every day, yet edible, surplus food that could make around 650 million meals ends up being thrown away by our food industry each year. In a bid to tackle these two rising problems, a Barnsley-based charity is leading the way when it comes to turning an environmental issue into a social solution. FareShare Yorkshire, which has its main distribution centre in Wombwell, is part of a national
initiative which takes in surplus food from manufacturers and supermarkets to share out amongst charities and community groups that will put it to good use. Food is made to be eaten, not thrown away, and FareShare Yorkshire currently distribute quality food items to 270 not-for-profit organisations across Yorkshire to feed vulnerable people in our communities. From a healthy breakfast for schoolchildren to start the day with a full tummy, to a hot meal for the
‘‘FareShare Yorkshire recently won two awards at this year’s Barnsley and Rotherham Business Awards; the Community Impact Award and Charity of the Year for which they also received a £3,000 donation from Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber’’
rising number of homeless people on our streets, or a roast dinner for the elderly who are lonely and isolated; every meal provided not only cuts waste but also helps to improve some of society’s most pressing issues.
As the UK’s longest running food redistribution charity, the national arm of FareShare was launched in the mid-90s when Sainsbury’s were looking for responsible ways to deal with excess stock left over from Christmas. They teamed up with homeless charity, Crisis, to open a depot in London which expanded quickly across the UK.
The Barnsley distribution centre was the second to open in 1998, with FareShare now made up of 21 regional centres across the country covering 2,000 towns and cities, supplying surplus food to almost 11,000 charities and community groups nationwide. The Yorkshire branch also has a sub-regional site in Leeds, and their main warehouse moved to larger premises in Wombwell five years ago due to demand to help more people in need. “We’ve grown immensely since starting up, particularly over the
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last six years. Back in 2013, we had 2.5 staff and worked with 60 charities which shows that demand for food is there but also that we are helping reduce wastage,” says Office and Development Manager, Jonathan Williams. Today, the Barnsley depot is run by a team of 40 volunteers and 14 paid staff who have the mammoth task of taking in anywhere between two and 20 cages of surplus food that arrive each day. All deliveries must then be logged on their database, GLADYS, before being picked and packed ready to be delivered to their many recipients. Large metal shelves are stacked with ambient foods and staple items such as tins of soup, jars of sauces, bags of coffee and packets of crisps. They also have a range of fresh and chilled items with everything from fruit, vegetables and potatoes to meat and cheese depending on the season and shipment. FareShare Yorkshire currently works with around 100 food industry companies from major supermarkets like Co-Op, Asda and Tesco, to national brands like Arla, Muller, Pipers and Pennine Foods.
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