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Fareshare Cymru


Supporting communities to relieve food poverty

Fareshare Cymru is at the centre of two of the most urgent issues that face the UK - food poverty and food waste.

Our vision is of a Wales 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.

Our aim is to divert the edible food currently treated as waste by the food manufacturers and retailers and distribute it to disadvantaged people across Wales who can benefit by eating it.

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 ...

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

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, 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 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. 

Events

  • Saturday 25th June, Cardiff Castle Launch Dinner 
  • Monday 27th June, volunteer training week in the new depot)
  • Monday 4th July,  depot opens

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 (see HTTP://HUGGARD.ORG.UK/) to disadvantaged groups such as homeless and vulnerably housed people.

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. 

Support

Fareshare Cymru would like to thank Cylch, Environment Wales and the Welsh Assembly Government for their continued support.

For more information on Fareshare Cymru you can contact us:

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.

Volunteering

FareShare Cymru is planning to open a new FareShare depot in Cardiff this July.

We need volunteers to get the depot up and running.  

We want our volunteers to be as diverse a group of people as possible.  One of our hopes is to give opportunities to people who would struggle to get work experience any other way.  Please bear with us if we can’t use you straight away, we first need to establish a core group of people who can run the depot safely.  There will be more opportunities to support FareShare Cymru later.

Please keep a look out for news of a special opportunity in the second week of July 

Please contact Paul Williamson, Volunteer Coordinator by email: volunteer@faresharecymru.org.uk or on 07891 889713 for more information on volunteering or to offer support.

Volunteering at FareShare from FareShare on Vimeo.

For further information about Fareshare Cymru, please contact Guy Boswell, Project Co-ordinator on 029 2051 9000 or email guy.boswell@cylch.org.uk

Page updated: June 1st 2011