Tag: Fareshare

Providing support for children and families who struggle during the school holidays

Edinburgh customers can support families facing financial difficulties during the Easter school holidays by picking up an extra bag to put through the checkout at Tesco stores.

The donation bags, which cost between £2 and £5, are pre-packed with healthy long life food items. They will be available in every large Tesco store in and around Edinburgh during the Easter break (30 March 30 to 12 April) to make donating the most-needed items to the charities FareShare & The Felix Project and Trussell easier than ever.

The Easter Holiday Helps initiative is part of Tesco’s year-round support for schoolchildren and families. This includes the Fruit and Veg for Schools programme, which helps schools with the highest rates of free school meals by offering grants for purchasing fruit and vegetables from Tesco stores. The scheme also helps children to get healthier snack choices and lunch options while they’re at school.

Claire De Silva, Head of Communities at Tesco, said: “Holiday periods can be really tough for Edinburgh families who miss out on their free school meal provision, meaning it’s hard to make sure kids get healthy nutritious food.

“Our pre-packed donation bags will give a much-needed boost of food to FareShare & The Felix Project and Trussell and make a difference to the lives of children and their families, giving them vital support over the school holidays.”

Trussell says that foodbank use remains 45% higher than in 2019 before the pandemic, with foodbanks in the Trussell community providing the equivalent of one parcel every 12 seconds throughout 2025.

Parents are among the people shouldering the heaviest burden, as families with children received almost two-thirds (62%) of all parcels in 2025.

FareShare & The Felix Project have recently merged to become the UK’s leading food redistribution charity, providing good-to-eat surplus food to more than 8,000 charities and community groups – 83% of which support families with children.

Tesco continues to support FareShare & The Felix Project and other community groups year-round by redistributing unsold food from all its Edinburgh stores as part of its Community Food Connection programme, which provides thousands of meals locally. Customers can also donate the value of their Clubcard vouchers to either FareShare & The Felix Project or Trussell online.

Matthew van Duyvenbode, Co-CEO at Trussell, said: “Tesco’s Easter pre-packed donation bags are such a great way to make it easier for people to support children and families in their local communities. With some children missing out on free school meals and parents facing additional food costs, it makes it even harder to cover the essentials we all need.

“No-one should face hunger – these extra donations make all the difference to ensure more families can put food on their tables. Tesco has stepped up to help once again. Thank you so much to Tesco customers for playing your part. We are extremely grateful.”

Customers can donate any long-life items to support FareShare & The Felix Project and Trussell, but their most-needed items are tinned meat and fish, long life fruit juice, cooking/pasta sauces, tinned vegetables, and tinned and dried soup.

Charlotte Hill, CEO at FareShare & The Felix Project, said: “Many of the charities receiving food through our network support families with children. They tell us that the school holidays can be especially hard for parents who are already struggling, which is why initiatives like Tesco’s Easter Holiday Helps are so important.

“These pre-packed donation bags make it easy for shoppers to donate long-life items that help charities and make a real difference to families in need. We are so grateful to Tesco and all their customers for their ongoing support, helping us get nourishing food to people and families, one donation bag at a time.”

Other key items that can be donated as part of the scheme are pasta, rice and noodles, cereal and porridge, tea and coffee, sponge/rice pudding, and UHT and powered milk.

Tesco customers thanked for generous Winter Food Collection support as almost 1.5 million meals donated

Stores across the country have been overwhelmed by the generosity of customers who donated at the Tesco Winter Food Collection.

An incredible 1.48 million meals’ worth of long-life food items were donated to the collection between 24 November and 29 November across the retailer’s large and Express stores, including 41,804 in and around Edinburgh.

More than 2,000 volunteers helped store colleagues throughout the collection where every item donated provides much-needed support for food redistribution charities FareShare and Trussell in the run up to Christmas.

In addition, more than £300,000 was donated to both charities thanks to customers rounding up their bill at the till to the nearest pound and online donations throughout the collection period. When combined with Tesco’s financial support of the charities, it equates to more than £2m in funding in 2025.

Trussell research shows over 14 million people in the UK are now facing hunger, including 3.8 million children. They predict that their community of foodbanks will need to give out an emergency food parcel every ten seconds this winter to meet the need. 

FareShare continues to see high levels of need and say that more than a third of its partners now primarily serve families with children, or services for children. Research carried out by the charity’s network partner, The Felix Project, recently found that almost a quarter of UK working parents have had to turn to a food support service in the last year.

Donations to Trussell help food banks to provide emergency food parcels to people who cannot afford the essentials, while donations to FareShare support thousands of frontline local charities in communities across the country.

This winter will see heightened levels of demand for both charities’ services with the Christmas holidays being a particularly difficult time for families due to the increased costs that occur at this time of year.

Tesco UK CEO Ashwin Prasad said: “As ever, we have been overwhelmed by the generosity of Tesco customers who have shown how much they value the hard work of our partners Trussell and FareShare in their local communities.

“I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who donated and made this such a special event in stores across the UK. Every single item donated really helps to make a huge impact in communities across the UK supported by Trussell and FareShare.”

FareShare Chief Executive, Kris Gibbon-Walsh, said: “Once again, the generosity of Tesco customers at the Winter Food Collection has been humbling. The long-life items collected will go to 8,000 charities across the UK, helping to support people during the winter months.

At a time when many people are forced to choose between keeping warm and eating, demand for these local charities’ services is higher than ever. The food that we can provide thanks to the Winter Food Collection makes a real difference, helping to bring people together, strengthen communities and support those in need.

“Thank you to every single person that donated an item of food, topped up their shopping bill or generously gave their time to volunteer in store. Your support will help provide a meal for someone facing hardship this winter, enable them to connect with other vital services, and make a positive difference. Thank you.”

Matthew van Duyvenbode, co-chief executive of Trussell, said: “We are so grateful to Tesco for supporting our community of food banks through the coldest season by organising the annual Winter Food Collection.

“Crucially, it’s thanks to you – Tesco customers – who donate food and money so generously. By doing this, you’re ensuring food banks can continue to help people in your local community who are facing hunger and hardship. Thank you for your kindness. When we all play our part, we can end hunger for good.”

With both charities requiring ongoing support, Tesco shoppers can continue to donate food at permanent collection points at every Tesco store in the UK or make a donation after their online shop until the end of February.

You can also donate at https://fareshare.donr.com/tesco.

Queen Bee: Fort Kinnaird crowns winner of competition to design labels for homegrown honey

Nine-year-old Elodie from Niddrie Mill Primary School has been named the winner of a recent competition launched by Fort Kinnaird to design a label for the honey produced by its resident beehives.  

Elodie was one of 115 pupils from the local primary school to take part in the contest, with Fort Kinnaird choosing her hand-drawn design to be printed on the labels.

As part of Fort Kinnaird’s longstanding partnership with Scottish homelessness charity, Cyrenians, the jars of honey featuring Elodie’s design will be donated to food redistribution service, FareShare, helping to give back to the local community. FareShare aims to reduce food waste while also tackling food inequality across the country.     

Elodie and the five runners up, Elena, Kamsi, Layah, Lola, and Ella celebrated with a visit from the Cyrenians team and Liam Smith, centre director at Fort Kinnaird, who awarded them with vouchers to enjoy a well-deserved shopping spree at the centre in recognition of their winning designs.

Liam Smith, centre director at Fort Kinnaird, said: “It’s been great to see the children of Niddrie Mill Primary School get involved in our competition. We were really impressed by the creativity of all the designs, but Elodie’s really stood out to us.

“We’re proud that our beehives are having such a positive impact on our local community, not just in terms of sustainability by promoting biodiversity but also by providing an opportunity for us to support the vital work of Cyrenians through donating to their FareShare service and ensuring the honey is put to good use.” 

Judith Hughes, Director of Income Generation, Marketing and Communication at Cyrenians, said: “We’re really pleased to be part of this community initiative with Fort Kinnaird and Niddrie Mill Primary School.

“Our FareShare initiative provides vital support to people across Scotland, and we think that the honey complete with Elodie’s lovely design will bring a smile to those using our service.”    

Cheryl Miller, Sustainability Lead at Niddrie Mill Primary School, said: “Our students really enjoyed being involved in Fort Kinnaird’s competition and it’s great to know that their work will have a positive impact on our community, which is so important to us as a school.”

The competition follows pupils from Niddrie Mill visiting the beehives at Fort Kinnaird back in June, during which they learned all about the world of bees – including how they are essential to the local environment, how hives function, and what it takes to care for bees first-hand. 

Fort Kinnaird runs the beehives in partnership with Colin Mackie, a local beekeeper who has tended to the beehives since they were established in May 2024. 

For more details and to plan your day at Fort Kinnaird, please visit: 

https://www.fortkinnaird.com/

Edinburgh food trucks come together to fight hunger and loneliness

Three local Edinburgh food trucks served up something special for customers last weekend – teaming up with Scotland’s number one cheddar brand, Galloway Cheddar, to raise money for FareShare and help tackle food poverty and social isolation across the country. 

Food trucks across Scotland are hitting the road to serve limited-edition cheesy creations for one-day-only fundraising events as part of the nationwide Galloway Gathering Project.

The campaign launched on Friday 25 July as Wanderers Kneaded Pizza, Wanderers Kneaded Street Food and Lazeezdished up a bespoke menu made with Galloway Cheddar at Innis & Gunn’s On The Mound site – proving that comfort food really can be a force for good. 

The fundraising day was part of the ‘Galloway Gathering Project’, a nationwide campaign that brings together Scottish cheese brand Galloway and FareShare – the UK’s leading food redistribution charity. Customers were encouraged to donate to FareShare via QR codes at the trucks. 

Mark Morris, Managing Director at Wanderers Kneaded said: “Since starting Wanderers Kneaded in 2018, it’s been amazing to see the way the people of Edinburgh gather around food and socialise.

“By doing something as simple as using Galloway Cheddar on our pizzas and burgers for the day, we’re able to turn that shared love of food into something meaningful – helping raise funds and awareness for those facing hunger and isolation in our communities.”

Following previous years of success, this year’s ‘Galloway Gathering Project’, will see the equivalent of 90,000 meals donated* to those in need. 

Heloise Le Norcy-Trott, Marketing Director at Lactalis UK & Ireland, said: “The food truck days have become a highlight of the Galloway Gathering Project, with local vendors across Scotland serving up delicious cheesy dishes to support FareShare.

“It’s a simple but powerful way to bring people together and raise awareness of food poverty and loneliness in Scotland’s communities.”

Kirsty Ford, Head of Fundraising at FareShare said: “We are so grateful to everyone at Galloway Cheddar for supporting this campaign. The donations made to FareShare from this initiative will help us get good-to-eat food, which might otherwise go to waste, to people who need it.

“Every day, food from FareShare is redistributed to a network of charities including homelessness shelters, after school clubs, refuges, and older people’s lunch clubs.

“By donating to FareShare via the food trucks, supporters help power the redistribution of surplus food, supporting essential services that strengthen communities and improve lives. Thank you.”  

As part of the campaign, 800kg of Galloway Cheddar is being donated to FareShare’s partner organisations, and Scottish National Chef and MasterChef: The Professionals winner Gary Maclean is hosting two cooking events in Dundee, preparing comforting Mac n’ Cheese dishes to be distributed to local charities. 

To donate to The Galloway Gathering Project, visit:

https://www.justgiving.com/page/gallowaygatheringproject2025 

To find out more information on The Galloway Gathering Project, please visit

https://www.gallowaycheddar.co.uk/

Every little helps Kirkliston community project thanks to Tesco food scheme

A community project which supports local residents in Kirkliston has teamed up with Tesco and food charity FareShare, to receive surplus food and additional items from the supermarket to provide the community with food products for their community fridge.

Established back in 2022, the Waste Not, Want Not in Kirkliston group is an encouraging and positive community project which helps to divert food from being wasted and creating an environmentally friendly way to offer key support for residents across the town.

The group, which is run by volunteers, offers a multitude of services that help deliver educational and sustainable ways for the local community to access food, whether it’s the community gardens where people can grow food or the community fridge which provides breads, baked goods, meat and dairy products supplied very the Tesco Community Food Connection.

Waste Not, Want Not in Kirkliston receives food every week as part of the Community Food Connection surplus food scheme, which involves Tesco stores and food redistribution charity FareShare.

Elizabeth Pemma Ellis-Huddleston, organiser at Waste Not Want Not in Kirkliston, said: “Thanks to the Community Food Connection scheme, we’ve been able to further supply a variety of food items for residents in the local community to enjoy and prepare enjoyable meals with.

“Our community fridge project has been very positively welcomed by our local residents, who are welcome to access all of our services at Waste Not, Want Not, as we are just here to help any and all people who need it.

“We hope that by offering to help anyone and everyone we can, we can also break down the self consciousness about using our community fridge service as well.”

“We’d like to thank Tesco and FareShare for helping us with this project and I wish to extend our thanks to all of our volunteers, some of which actually joined our team after visiting our group themselves. It’s that sense of community spirit that we find incredibly humbling and affirming.”

The Community Food Connection scheme ensures that surplus food from Tesco doesn’t go to waste and is instead provided to charities and community groups, whose volunteer members then distribute it to the public.

Tony McElroy, Corporate Communications and Sustainability Leader at Tesco, said: “Working with community groups and schools, such as Waste Not Want Not in Kirkliston, to help them get the food they need is such an important service for us to offer.

“The dedication they have to their local community is amazing, and we are pleased to do what we can to support.

“We firmly believe no good food should go to waste, which is why we began our Community Food Connection scheme. It enables us to ensure our surplus food is put to good use in communities.”

FareShare is the UK’s biggest charity fighting hunger and food waste. Two-thirds of the organisations it provides food to, support children and families.

Katie Sadler, Head of FareShare Go, said: “The food that Tesco redistributes through FareShare makes a huge difference to people facing food insecurity across the UK.

“We work with thousands of charities and community groups providing essential support to their communities, and receiving a steady stream of food helps them to feed the people who need it most.”

By providing the surplus food to help communities, it is also aiding the environment by ensuring that the food does not end up as landfill.

Charities and community groups that could benefit from the support of the Community Food Connection scheme can find further information at:

 https://fareshare.org.uk/getting-food/.  

Albert Bartlett thanks Fareshare volunteers with potato-inspired lunch

Leading potato supplier Albert Bartlett has hosted a special lunch for the Edinburgh-based FareShare volunteers who selflessly package, cook and serve food for the UK’s biggest charity tackling food waste for social good.

Albert Bartlett has donated the equivalent of over 12 million meals to FareShare.

The potato people were on site at Cyrenians Kitchen in Bonnington on Thursday (7th March) where Albert Bartlett Chef, Graham Wilson cooked a potato inspired menu* for the 30 local volunteers to thank them for their hard work and dedication.

Cyrenians, an Edinburgh-based homelessness charity, is responsible for delivering FareShare’s operation in central and southeast Scotland.

During its 14-year relationship with FareShare, Albert Bartlett has made a significant difference with generous food donations. In 2023 they donated 1,200 tonnes of food which provided three million equivalent meals*, helped 3,453 charities and prevented 3,000 tonnes of CO2e from being wasted.

Sales Director at Albert Bartlett, John Heginbottom: “Community is hugely important to Albert Bartlett, so giving back and saying thank you to the dedicated volunteers at FareShare is really important to us.

“It’s crucial that we continue to help FareShare towards its mission of tackling food waste and hunger – potatoes are rich in nutrients.’’

Stevie Murray, Volunteer at FareShare: “Yesterday we were treated to a special lunch on site from Albert Bartlett.

“The food was amazing, and the company was great. I have been volunteering at FareShare for the past five years, following my retirement I decided to spend my time helping others, which is fantastic and so rewarding.’’

The volunteer lunch follows the recent Albert Bartlett Golden Ticket giveaway which saw local charities in the FareShare network receive a voucher worth £100 in the 62 tonnes of surplus potatoes.

The charities included: 

  • Laurence’s Larder and Open Kitchen, Northwest London
  • The Food Chain, North London
  • Kellands School, Aberdeenshire
  • Dundee Survival Group, Dundee
  • Faifley Community Council, Glasgow

Director of food at FareShare, Simon Millard: “We are enormously grateful to Albert Bartlett for their ongoing support for FareShare.

“Their surplus potatoes are redistributed across our nationwide network of 8,500 charities and community groups and make a valuable contribution to getting good food to people in need, rather than letting it go to waste.

“Regular supplies of potatoes enable these groups to create hearty, nourishing meals for the people they support, bringing people together and helping them access other vital support services.

“Volunteers are absolutely crucial to FareShare’s operation, making sure good food gets to people and groups that need it. The meal was a wonderful opportunity to say thank you for their hard work and dedication, and we are grateful to the team at Albert Bartlett for making it happen.”

*The menu consisted of Spicy Buffalo and Vegan Blue Cheese loaded Crispy Albert Bartlett Mini Hash Browns, Luxury Mash Potato loaded with Tennessee BBQ Pulled Pork, Dill Pickles, and Crispy Nacho’s along with many other delicious dishes.

*The equivalent meals calculation is based on WRAP’s guidance around reporting the amounts of surplus food redistributed.

Tomorrow: A Recipe for Togetherness at Fresh Start

Gather together with Fresh Start for a FREE community meal tomorrow (Friday 12th f May) at lunch time!

Enjoy laughs, chats and a hot meal served up with tasty cheddar at this special event from Galloway Cheddar Family Favourites and FareShare🧀❤️

#GallowayGatheringProject

#GallowayGatherings

Nando’s to donate over £100,000 to charities across Scotland and Wales

·       36 charities will each receive a £3,000 donation

·       The charities are part of Nando’s ‘No Chuckin’ Our Chicken’ initiative, established ten years ago to help feed communities in need

Nando’s will donate £108,000 to 36 charities across Scotland and Wales to support relieving food poverty in the communities in which its restaurants operate.

Each charity, as members of the Nando’s ‘No Chuckin’ Our Chicken’ initiative, will receive a total of £3,000. The initiative was established in 2013 to help local charities feed communities in need while reducing food waste – with each Nando’s restaurant selecting their own charity partner.

The donations have been funded by the mandatory 10p and 5p charges for single-use paper carrier bags in Scotland and Wales respectively. Nando’s has collected these charges in line with regulations since 2015 and is committed to continuing to donate proceeds to its local charity partners.

Richard Craft, Nando’s UK Community lead, said: “We know that the start of the year can be a particularly challenging time for local charities as everyone looks to cut back on their spending.

“That’s why we’ve committed to making these donations to our charity partners in Scotland and Wales. We hope these donations, on top of our food donation programme, will help our fantastic partners to continue their work in feeding those who need it most.”

Nando’s No Chuckin’ Our Chicken scheme sees any cooked chicken that hasn’t been sold temperature checked, frozen and delivered to each restaurant’s charity partner at the end of every night. To date, Nando’s has provided the equivalent of over 3 million meals to more than 500 UK charities. Nando’s works in partnership with the UK’s largest food redistribution charity FareShare to run the programme.

Lindsay Boswell, Chief Executive at FareShare, said: “The cost of living crisis is having a disproportionate impact on those already struggling to make ends meet, and our charities are finding it increasingly hard to meet the skyrocketing demand from those in need. 

“The support from Nando’s and its No Chuckin’ Our Chicken scheme continues to be invaluable in aiding national donations and helping FareShare continue delivering much needed food this winter.”

Charity recipients will be able to use the £3,000 donation as they wish, and some plan to invest in projects including upgrading their kitchens; enhancing their pantries and supporting people with recipes; alongside upskilling their volunteers to enhance their service.

Scottish Charities

RestaurantCharity
Fife LeisureJames Bank Centre
Edinburgh, Fountain ParkOxgangs, Neighbourhood Centre
LivingstonOpen Door Scotland
Edinburgh, Lothian RoadFidra Court Community Kitchen
Edinburgh, Chambers StreetRCCG King of Glory
Edinburgh, Omni CentreEdinburgh Tabernacle (RCCG)
HamiltonBetel of Motherwell
Edinburgh, Straiton ParkFood Facts Friends Foodbank
Edinburgh, Ocean TerminalEdinburgh Tabernacle (RCCG)
Fort KinnairdMayfield and Easthouses Development Trust
East KilbrideCalderwood Baptist Church
Glasgow, The FortThe Everlasting Foodbank
StirlingThe Larder @ Bridge of Allan
Dundee, NethergateDundee Survival Group
Aberdeen, Belmont StreetFareShare Regional Centre: Grampian (CFINE)
St AndrewsCupar Foodbank
FalkirkFalkirk Foodbank
InvernessCafé 1668
Dundee, CamperdownDundee Foodbank
Glasgow, Soar (Xsite)RAMH Restore
Glasgow, Springfield QuayHelp For The Homeless (Glasgow)
Glasgow, SilverbunIsobel Mair Family Centre
Glasgow, St EnochLodging House Mission
Glasgow, BraeheadJ.Praise International
Glasgow, Sauchiehall StreetHelp For The Homeless (Glasgow)
ClydebankFood for Thought (Glasgow)
PaisleyChrist Ambassador Community Church
Glasgow, West EndKindness Homeless Street Team Glasgow
Glasgow, Waterloo StreetGarnethill Multicultural Centre
St Enoch, East End LeisureEmmanuel Christian Ministries

Winter funding for food groups

Cash-first approach will help those facing hardship

Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison has announced an additional £2.4 million in funding to help people struggling to afford food and other essentials.

The funds will go to four organisations to distribute mainly on a ‘cash-first’ basis to people in immediate need in the face of the cost of living crisis.

A focus on crisis payments and shopping cards will allow people to choose for themselves what they need.

Ms Robison announced the funding on a visit to Prospect Community Housing in Wester Hailes, Edinburgh, where she heard how staff are helping residents through debt and income advice services.

She said: “I know people are struggling with the cost of food and other essentials right now, and this additional funding will get more support to some of those who need it most this winter.

“We are working with partners to prioritise urgent cash-first action when it comes to food insecurity and this will take some of the pressure off food banks.

“This funding has the potential to directly reach 7,500 people, and many more will benefit than this, as the Corra Foundation and Fareshare will between them distribute it further to an estimated 900 organisations.

“We want people to make sure they are getting all the support they are entitled to, so I encourage anyone who is struggling financially to get advice on what support they may qualify for – through their local authority, a local advice service, or Social Security Scotland as well as checking out our cost of living website.”

Carolyn Sawers, Chief Executive at the Corra Foundation said: “This £1 million contribution to the Household Hardship Fund from the Scottish Government provides a dignified cash first approach for those most impacted by the cost of living.

“Organisations which have received money through the fund have told us it is making a significant difference helping families with the essentials of food, fuel, and household items.

“Corra is committed to working alongside others in tackling the long-term issues of poverty. The Household Hardship fund is an important step in responding to the crisis that people across Scotland face today.”

Sally Thomas, Chief Executive of the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA), said: “Housing associations and co-operatives are doing everything they can to help tenants keep their heads above water, heat their homes and put food on their table this winter. However  our members are increasingly reporting that tenants are facing impossible decisions on and between household bills and food as costs soar.

“It’s simply not right that anyone in Scotland should be going hungry this winter. As we continue to face this unprecedented crisis, this money will be critical to helping ensure social landlords can provide a response to food insecurity that is tailored to the needs of their tenants and communities, maintaining dignity and choice.”

Allocations from the £2.4 million:

  • £1,000,000 to the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations for cash-first responses to food insecurity via their members
  • £1,050,000 to Corra Foundation for their Household Hardship Fund, providing grants to organisations working to alleviate poverty with an emphasis on cash-first responses food insecurity
  • £100,000 to Citizens Advice Scotland to expand their shopping card pilot, offering an alternative to a food bank referral
  • £250,000 to FareShare for regional purchasing where needed to supplement the supply from surplus and donations

In 2022-23 the Scottish Government has allocated around £3 billion in a range of measures which will help mitigate the impacts of the cost of living crisis on households, of which £1 billion is for support only available in Scotland and not elsewhere in the UK.

The Scottish Government consulted on a draft plan on ending the need for food banks between October 2021 and January 2022, and the plan will be published in the coming months.

 The Scottish Government’s Cost Of Living website provides information and support for people who need urgent help with money, food or fuel, Visit gov.scot/costoflivingsupport

FareShare: urgent appeal for volunteer drivers to help feed people in need across Edinburgh

A food charity is urgently appealing for volunteer drivers to provide vital support to local communities by collecting food from its warehouse and delivering it to charities.

FareShare Central and South East Scotland operated in partnership with Cyrenians, takes good quality, in-date surplus food and redistributes it to over 196 local charities and community groups supporting vulnerable people – including homeless hostels, breakfast clubs and domestic violence refuges.

This year alone the charity delivered more than 1,765 tonnes of food to create the equivalent of 4,203,441,21 meals in the region.

Volunteers are required to have a standard driving licence and will be able to deliver to a variety of local charities and community groups across Central and South East Scotland.

Lynne Collie, Cyrenians Senior Service Manager said: “We’re asking members of the public who may have a bit more time during the school summer holiday period to lend a hand and help with increased demand.

“Our volunteers have been providing a lifeline to people in the region throughout the crisis, delivering food to charities across the region. “Now, as restrictions ease, many of our fantastic volunteers are returning to work, leaving us with a shortage of drivers.

“The charities we serve are still facing an unprecedented demand and we urgently need new volunteer drivers to help us get food onto more people’s plates. We’re really hoping the community will rally round and help people in need.”

Find out more about volunteering opportunities on FareShare’s website: 

https://fareshare.org.uk/volunteer/