27 March 2024
“We have been working with FareShare for about 10 years,” explains Kevin Warrington of Bethany Community Outreach.
Based in Erdington Birmingham, the charity supports the local community by helping people in need with food, toiletries and general advice. “We are feeding over 1,000 people per month,” says Kevin Warrington from the charity.
Bethany serves as a critical component of the social safety net, addressing immediate food needs while running a parents and toddlers group every Tuesday and the food bank three times a week.
“The recent increase in cost of living has affected all our people; working with FareShare and Tesco helps us support many of those that use our food bank. We are seeing more people than ever, especially pensioners,” says Kevin.
According to Age Concern, latest figures show 2.1 million (18%) pensioners in the UK live in relative poverty, one of the highest rates this century. This means that the immediate relief provided by organisations such as Bethany Community Outreach is as vital as ever.
To deliver this relief it is important that charities and community organisations work collaboratively with larger organisations such as supermarkets and food manufacturers. By using the FareShare Go service, Bethany can build a strong relationship with their local Tesco store.
“The Tesco store and personnel are wonderful. The food we are able to collect is very important to us,” says Kevin.
