FareShare London seeks Saturday “food heroes”

20 April 2016

FareShare London, the food redistribution charity, is seeking dozens of enthusiastic “food heroes” to volunteer in its Deptford warehouse on Saturdays, as it expands to meet growing demand from local charities and community groups that feed hungry people.

The charity saves in date, good food from going to waste and redistributes it to over 200 charities and community groups across the capital, who turn it into nutritious meals for Londoners in need of support. These include homeless hostels, lunch clubs for older people, domestic violence refuges and children’s breakfast clubs.

From 14 May onwards, the FareShare London warehouse will open on Saturdays and the charity is seeking dozens of volunteers who can spare a few hours to help ensure that good, surplus food gets to the people who need it most.

Volunteers can sign up for morning or afternoon shifts, on an ad hoc or regular basis, and will be part of a team that helps to sort food and prepare the warehouse for the busy week ahead. FareShare London will cover reasonable travel costs, within zones 1 – 4.

Eva, who has been volunteering with FareShare London since 2004, said she is motivated to support the charity because she enjoys, “being able to see the difference you can make in a few hours in the warehouse, picking the next day’s deliveries or sorting pallets of food… the old cliché of giving something back is true. I enjoy being involved with a charity that helps people.”

Rachel Ledwith, FareShare London, added: “We often hear from people that want to volunteer for us but aren’t available during the working week, so we’re delighted that we can now offer volunteering opportunities on Saturdays. We call our volunteers ‘Food Heroes’ because without their generosity, we wouldn’t be able to get good food to hungry and vulnerable people – and as we grow to support more local charities and community groups, we need that help more than ever!”

The expansion of the charity’s London operations has been supported by a grant of almost £20,000 from People’s Postcode Trust, the charity funded by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, which has been invested in a large walk-in chiller. This means FareShare London can store, and redistribute, a greater volume of good, fresh food to frontline charities and community groups.

Volunteers can register their interest at www.fareshare.org.uk/regional-centres/london or contact FareShare London on 020 7394 2478 or michelle.ford@fareshare.org.uk