Robert Largan MP has praised FareShare’s work getting vital food supplies to charities in High Peak throughout the Covid-19 crisis, during a visit to their depot at New Smithfield Market, Manchester.

FareShare is the UK’s largest food charity, made up of a network of 17 independent food redistribution organisations—taking surplus food from the food industry and delivering it to charities such as food banks, homeless hostels, domestic violence refuges and day centres. 

Since lockdown began, they have delivered 25 tonnes of food to 7 charities and community groups in the High Peak, serving an average of 1,318 people per week: enough to create over 60,379 meals for the hardest hit by the pandemic.

Since March, FareShare has tripled the amount of food it has delivered to vulnerable people across the UK. This is thanks to trial funding from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which enabled them to cover the additional costs faced by growers, suppliers and producers in diverting their surplus to frontline charities.

The trial has proven that significant volumes of fresh and nutritious food grown in England that exceed customer demand can be redistributed quickly, efficiently and safely. In a very short period this has helped create more than 10 million meals for people in communities decimated by the impact of Covid-19.
 
Robert Largan MP commented:

“Since lockdown began, Fareshare have supported thousands of people in the High Peak who have been hardest hit by the pandemic. It was great to visit the depot and to thank them for their amazing work during this incredibly difficult time.”