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Leeds community project tackles food poverty
Fareshare, a community project in a corner of Leeds, is tackling food poverty in a HUGE way.
"WE are taking good quality food, diverting it from landfill, and delivering it to people in need right here in Leeds." Former joiner Charlie Wilkinson, 37, is project manager of Fareshare West Yorkshire, which was set up 12 months ago.
He works seven days a week in a bid to take quality food from supermarkets and suppliers that would otherwise end up being destroyed, and give it to the "food poor".
He is backed by staff at social enterprise Create, who helped to set up Fareshare in March 2009.
Charlie, who is the only full-time paid staff member of Fareshare, added: "By rescuing perfectly good food from landfill we have reduced CO2 emissions by around 450 tonnes."
Sainsbury's and Asda are the biggest supporters in Leeds, along with Nestle and Gerber. But other food outlets do their bit such as North Yorkshire's Taylor's of Harrogate and Betty's Tearooms, who send fine food parcels.
Biscuits, apples, bananas, tomatoes, meat, milk and bread are typical "rescued" items that are stored at the Fareshare warehouse in Holbeck, Leeds.
These are then sorted and delivered to around 30 projects and charities in the Yorkshire area, including Mencap Leeds, which provides a hostel for adults with disabilities; Emmaus Leeds, which supports former homeless men, PAFRAS, or positive action for refugees and asylum seekers in Leeds, and Skyline Leeds that works with HIV sufferers.
In just 12 months Fareshare West Yorkshire has provided 238,000 meals to those in need, and kept more than 100 tonnes of surplus food from landfill.
Horsforth Live at Home project, which is run from the Central Methodist Church on Town Street, has around 470 members – 60 of which attend a weekly lunch now supported by Fareshare. They have also set up a free food tuck shop to divide up the rest of the edible donations.
Barbara McLaren, scheme manager, said: "Fareshare is excellent. It gives older people fruit and vegetables, biscuits, sweets, bread and tea – anything that they can make into a meal.
"The good thing is that because we get different things they are trying different things. It's opening a new door on the diversity of food.
"We also use some of the food donations at our weekly lunch. Even if we only use bread one week this saves us money that can be spent elsewhere, or saves pensions for those that take food home."
FareShare food is said to:
Transform people's general health and well-being,
Save non-profit organisations money on food budgets, enabling them to re-invest this money in direct services and local communities in the most deprived areas,
Reduce food waste, the amount of food going to landfill and CO2 emissions.
GIPSIL (Gipton Supported Independent Living) provides support, such as housing, to around 150 people, who are on lower incomes.
They now benefit from Fareshare food.
Liz Minett, manager, said: "Fareshare will ring up to tell us what's available whether it's tea, biscuits, bread, milk, vegetables, cereals or meat.
"Obviously it isn't an endless supply but on the whole it's really really good.
"Our members can come to the office and pick up a carrier bag of food once a week or fortnight. If there's somebody in real dire need we'll make sure they get more."
Fareshare relies heavily on its 15 volunteers. It also benefits four offenders every day, who improve their CVs and life experience by helping out as part of community punishment programmes.
The plan now is to extend Fareshare West Yorkshire to keep more food from landfill, and deliver it to twice as many community groups. But first the small and dedicated team needs:
An extra computer to run a database of warehouse goods, and provide valuable training to volunteers,
A temporary building to extend office space, and training facilities,
A second refrigerated van,
A baler for recycling cardboard packaging, which can also be sold to supplement income,
Forklift truck training for staff and volunteers, which will improve the efficiency of the depot with more staff and volunteers able to off-load large food deliveries,
Cash donations to help with vital running costs, including salaries and rent. Nationally Foodshare was named Most Admired Charity at the Third Sector Awards 2010.
For information, visit www.fareshare.org.uk or call 0113 394 6120.
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