Food redistribution charity FareShare Central and South East, in partnership with Cyrenians, is seeking new charities and community groups across the city that could benefit from fresh, in-date surplus food. Continue reading Edinburgh charity seeks local projects solving loneliness with food
£500k for food distribution services around the country
An additional £500,000 will be awarded to the charity FareShare to step up redistribution of surplus food for people struggling to afford to eat.
The funding, which doubles investment in FareShare over the next two years, will help the charity mitigate against the potential consequences of Brexit on food supply for people in need.
The funding is in addition to the Scottish Government’s £3.5 million Fair Food Fund, established to tackle food insecurity.
Communities Cabinet Secretary Aileen Campbell visited Crookston Community Food Project in Glasgow today to meet with staff, volunteers and members of the community.
She said: “In a country as prosperous as ours, everyone should have access to affordable, nutritious food. Our further investment in FareShare and community groups like Crookston ensures we reach more of the people who need help the most.
“This extra funding will further help those who have been badly hit by the UK Government’s cuts, which mean that welfare spending will be reduced in Scotland by £3.7 billion in 2020/21.
“We are also taking this step to insure ourselves against the economic damage of a possible exit from the EU. It is shocking that we have to do so, but the deal proposed by the UK Government would make people poorer and undo much of the great progress we have made as a nation to tackle inequalities and poverty.
“Regardless of the Brexit outcome, we will continue our plans to tackle food insecurity. Scotland is the only country in the UK to routinely monitor food insecurity using the UN’s recommended measure and we are continuing to address the underlying causes.”
The Fair Food Fund aims to ensure that everyone can feed themselves and their families and reduce reliance on emergency food provision. In 2018-19 the fund was increased from £1 million to £1.5 million, and will be £3.5 million in 2019-20.
FareShare is a UK-wide charity which redistributes surplus food that would otherwise go to waste, to frontline charities and community groups.
FareShare, the UK’s largest food redistribution charity, today launched a national volunteer recruitment campaign, which portrays people and the food they most resemble in a bold, fun way, through UK-wide articles and advertisements. Continue reading Fun take on serious message in new food charity volunteer campaign
Access to free sanitary products extended
People from low-income households across the country will be able to receive free sanitary products. Following the successful pilot in Aberdeen, charity FareShare will receive over £500,000 to distribute sanitary products with the aim of reaching an estimated 18,800 more people. Continue reading Government acts to tackle period poverty
There’s an old expression that ‘There’s no such thing as a free lunch’ Well, think again! Environmental charity Changeworks is hosting a free lunch on Sunday 6 May 2018 made from food that would otherwise have gone to waste. Continue reading Feeding 1000 bellies, not bins, across Leith!
Sainsbury’s Million Meal Appeal has broken records thanks to generous donations from North West Edinburgh residents – and Granton Youth Centre will be one of the beneficiaries! On Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th October, customers at Sainsbury’s Blackhall donated enough food to provide 3000 meals to help feed vulnerable people affected by food poverty in the UK. Sainsbury’s also matched every meal donated by customers, so in total 6000 meals have been donated at Blackhall store.
The Million Meal Appeal is run with Sainsbury’s charity partner FareShare, a national charity dedicated to tackling hunger and food waste
The first Million Meal Appeal was held in 2011 with 600 stores participating. Thanks to customers’ generosity and Sainsbury’s pledge to match meals, 1.2 million meals were donated to FareShare. Due to its success, this year’s appeal was run in over 900 stores. Blackhall store were involved in both appeals and a massive two million meals have been donated in total this year, which includes matching from Sainsbury’s – that’s double the original target of 1 million meals!
Local volunteers, recruited by FareShare, leant a helping hand at the retailer’s Blackhall store over the weekend. The items collected, including tins, dried pasta, pasta sauce, rice, tea and instant coffee, are destined for local charities and projects in the surrounding community including Granton Youth Centre and Edinburgh City Mission.
Sainsbury’s Head of Community Affairs, Andy White said: “Our customers have been telling us that they like giving in this way and it’s really apparent by their generosity despite difficult times. We’re delighted to match all the meals donated by our customers and it means that together we’re helping to provide two million meals to vulnerable members of our communities that need it the most.”
FareShare CEO Lindsay Boswell added: “The response to the Million Meal Appeal has been incredible. We’ll be able to combine the donated pasta, rice and tinned food with the short life surplus meat, fruit and vegetables that we receive daily from the food industry. It will make these surpluses go even further in a time of real need.”
Sainsbury’s Blackhall colleagues are encouraging residents to help tackle food poverty this October by taking part in a nationwide food-drive run by Sainsbury’s and FareShare, the national charity tackling hunger across the UK. The second annual Million Meal Appeal takes place this weekend on Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th October and will benefit more than 700 charities and projects across the UK.
Last year’s ‘Million Meal Appeal’, which took place on Saturday 26th November, was a huge success and involved 600 Sainsbury’s stores including Blackhall. Thanks to customers’ generosity, together with Sainsbury’s pledge to match donations, FareShare could deliver food for over 1.2 million meals to 700 charities and community projects it supports. Blackhall residents’ contribution was significant, with enough food collected at the retailer’s Blackhall store to provide 4000 donations to charities across the UK including Granton Youth Centre.
This year’s appeal will see over 900 stores involved in the two-day food-drive to help 720 charities and community projects which FareShare supports. Customers will again be able to choose to donate an item from the Million Meal Appeal shopping list which consists of long-life products including tinned goods, dried pasta, pasta sauce, rice, tea and instant coffee. The items are purchased as normal and then placed in the collection box after checkout. Customers shopping on Sainsbury’s Online can also choose to make a £1 donation between 3 – 9 October.
Sainsbury’s Community Affairs Manager Andy White said: “We had such an overwhelming response from our customers to last year’s initiative and we’re excited to be working with FareShare on the second ‘Million Meal Appeal’. The total of 1.2 million meals donated in 2011 would be enough to feed a sold-out London Olympic stadium 15 times! We hope from this year’s campaign that we can further raise the awareness of food poverty in the UK and support those charities and projects that need our help.”
Assisting in the food drive will be local volunteers who are currently being recruited by FareShare. Potential volunteers are encouraged to visit www.fareshare.org.uk with their family and friends to register. Participants will be able to choose their preferred Sainsbury’s store to volunteer at and have the choice of a morning or afternoon shift.
Lindsay Boswell, CEO, FareShare, added: “The Million Meal Appeal has come at a crucial time. Around 5.8 million people live in deep poverty in the UK, meaning they struggle to afford everyday essentials like food. I hope many Sainsbury’s Blackhall customers can support the Appeal and help us to provide even more food to the charities and community projects we support across the country”.
