Editorial
- 14 million people in the UK are living in food insecurity.
- 3 million of these are children.
- 145,000 children living in poverty in Birmingham alone.
- Do you want to help?
Are you feeling bored, lonely or just stuck in a rut? Would you like to find a way to stay active, meet like-minded people and know you are making a difference to your local community? Do you want to improve your mental health and boost your confidence? Come and join us at FareShare Midlands as one of our Volunteer Drivers, Warehouse Assistants or Administrators.
FareShare Midlands is the region’s largest food redistribution charity, fighting food poverty while saving nutritious food from going to waste. We rescue good quality surplus food and redistribute it to charities and community organisations across the Midlands. Each week we reach more than 83,000 people through a network of 800 community partners – providing nourishment to vulnerable children, families and older people. Last year we redistributed almost 6,000 tonnes, providing 13 million meals.
Our Members include community centres, homeless shelters and children’s breakfast clubs and they are feeding families battling poverty and hunger. They turn the surplus food into affordable shopping, food parcels and delicious meals. But it’s not just about the food – the Members provide additional support including advice in respect of benefits, housing and debt.
To get as much food as possible to these charities and community organisations and the thousands of people they support, FareShare Midlands relies on the help of our Volunteers. Right now, we need passionate people with spare time and a desire to help. Please sign up as a Volunteer at our Nechells depot – you will perform essential tasks such as driving the delivery vans and packing the food in the warehouses. At the same time, you will gain so much – friendship, fun, exercise, new skills and the knowledge that you are helping your local community and the environment.
Volunteer Lindsay said “Volunteering gets you up and focused to start the day. It gives you structure which I find helps after big life changes like retirement or bereavement etc. Helping out at FareShare, you know your little bit helps those who need it, (it’s not lost in admin) and they are a really friendly and bunch and SO well organised (a few public organisations could learn a lot!) So be brave and join the fun!”.
FareShare Midlands Chief Executive, Simone Connolly said “Over the summer school holidays we will strive to support families in need across Birmingham by redistributing as much surplus food as we possibly can. There is no end in sight for the cost of living crisis and we are seeing unprecedented need. We urgently need kind people to volunteer with us – by lending a hand for just a few hours a week, you can make a massive difference”.
To find out more about becoming a volunteer call: 07981 36023, or email: Volunteer@faresharemidlands.org.uk. To read about FareShare Midlands, please visit the website https://faresharemidlands.org.uk/.