We’re thrilled to share our 2023-24 Impact Report. It showcases what we have achieved in fighting food poverty and stopping food waste. This year, we made significant strides in improving the lives of people in our community. At the same time, we worked hard to protect the environment.
We supplied 4.6 million meals to 306 charities and community groups. We also saved 1,929 tonnes of food from going to waste. We’re proud of the lasting impact we’ve had.
None of this would be possible without the dedication of our volunteers, donors and supporters. They enable us to achieve so much every year.
Our work is more than just food redistribution. It’s about creating sustainable solutions that help our communities thrive. We aim to reduce food waste while addressing the issue of food insecurity. Our services reach individuals and families in need, providing them with nutritious food at no cost, making a real difference in their lives.
Inside the report, you’ll find:
We’re incredibly grateful for every donation, hour volunteered and all the support that’s helped us move forward this year. Your involvement truly makes a difference in tackling food poverty and fighting waste. We’re committed to continuing this vital work and growing our impact over the coming year.
Read the full report here: FareShare Greater Manchester Impact Report 2023-24
Christmas was fast approaching, and we were excited to share news of a creative collaboration that aimed to raise money and bring makers together. This initiative would help provide food to those in need during the winter months.
The FareShare Festive Feast Wreath featured a unique crochet pattern that recreated a Christmas dinner, complete with turkey, pigs in blankets and sprouts! Lindsay Weston, our resident crochet designer and development team member, designed this pattern. She sold it online, with all proceeds supporting our work in Greater Manchester.
Lindsay shared, “When I started working with FareShare Greater Manchester earlier this year, I couldn’t stop thinking about how I could combine my passion for crochet with fundraising for Fareshare GM for this brilliant organisation. Crocheted food seemed like the perfect way forward. I started by making some pigs in blankets and before I knew where I was, I had a whole crocheted Christmas dinner!” says Lindsay.
The crochet fundraising wreath made a wonderful decoration for any wall or door, complementing other Christmas decorations. It was also a fun and enjoyable project to create. The crochet pattern came with step-by-step instructions, allowing anyone to make their own wreath that would last for many years.
Crocheters could buy the pattern as a downloadable PDF and create their own wreath in time for Christmas. It was available here.
To learn more about this crochet fundraising wreath collaboration, you could listen to the latest episode of Making Stitches Podcast, hosted by Lindsay.
During Recycling Week 14 – 20 October, we’d like to showcase some of the great work being undertaken by EMERGE 3Rs. Collectively, we are EMERGE Recycling, FareShare Greater Manchester and Touch Wood. Today, we are shining a light on EMERGE Recycling and the work it’s doing both across Greater Manchester and further afield to help recycling partners have a big impact on our environment and our community.
Using EMERGE Recycling & Touch Wood has enabled us to reduce our carbon footprint even more, improving environmental awareness with our colleagues by committing to the source separating discipline. Their services are really cost-effective and efficient. The fact that EMERGE is a Bencom and socially responsible really chimes with our ethos and objectives too. As a supplier, they’re a great fit for us and we’re proud to work together
Beth Moore
Sustainability Representative at One + All (A certified B Corporation
EMERGE Recycling has been supporting One + All with recycling services since January 2020. The services we provide them are:
All of the segregated waste streams collected are kept separate to avoid cross contamination. They’re then brought back to our depot at New Smithfield Market for processing. Items are baled and sent to our local mills and reprocessors to be recycled back into further reusable products.
EMERGE send One + All a certificate showing them the amount of Co2 they have saved by real recycling as well as how they have helped us deliver local social value.
Get in touch if you would like to see how we can help you with your recycling:
recycling@emergemanchester.co.uk & call 0161 223 8200
During Recycling Week 14 – 20 October, we showcased some of the great work being undertaken by EMERGE 3Rs. Collectively, we are EMERGE Recycling, FareShare Greater Manchester and Touch Wood. We highlighted the work FareShare GM does with partners in the food industry to reduce waste and recycle food.
FareShare Greater Manchester has been working with the world’s largest pure-play contract logistics provider, GXO, since before the pandemic. FareShare Greater Manchester’s collaboration with the GXO Surplus Food Partnership has made a significant impact on food waste reduction, with GXO donating 13.9 tonnes of food in just the last year alone.
“GXO and our customer, Greene King, aim to send zero food waste to landfill. When we first started looking at options, FareShare Greater Manchester was an obvious choice due to the number of people and communities they support,” says Hannah Chaffey-Green, Operations Director at GXO.
“Working with Fareshare helps us to meet our goal of reducing waste while also supporting those in need,” Hannah adds.
FareShare Greater Manchester’s Head of Development, Ruth Downes says GXO helped us in other ways, not just food donations. “Before we had our current freezer capacity, GXO and Greene King offered us freezer storage so we could accept a large donation of frozen food. This prevented many pallets of ice cream going to waste and in turn we were able to get it out to our community members quickly and efficiently.”
The GXO Surplus Food Partnership not only helps FareShare GM reduce food waste but also ensures that surplus food reaches those in need across the Greater Manchester area, benefiting local communities. Recycling surplus food with FareShare Greater Manchester also boosts staff morale as Hannah Chaffey-Green explains, “Our colleagues love that we support local charities, and always contribute to internal food bank donation drives. We also share information about where the surplus food ends up as our teams want to make sure that we’re doing the right thing.”
Hannah says the impact of such donations are huge and hopes other companies will be keen to donate their surplus food to FareShare. “Giving a little or a lot, it all helps the local community so much. Once processes are in place, it’s really straight forward.”
If you would like to find out more about sending your surplus food to FareShare Greater Manchester, get involved to see how you can contribute. You can also get in touch by calling 0161 223 8200 or email Ruth Downes at ruth@emergemanchester.co.uk.
During Recycling Week 2024, during 14 – 20 October, we’d like to showcase some of the great work being undertaken by EMERGE 3Rs. We are EMERGE Recycling, FareShare Greater Manchester and Touch Wood. Today we are shining a light on Touch Wood.
Touch Wood is a social enterprise which rescues wood from going to waste, be that incineration or landfill. Last year we rescued 600 tonnes of wood and reused 72% of it. The rest was ethically recycled.
Earlier this year, our skilled craftspeople upcycled scaffold boards, industrial reels, part of the Manchester Velodrome track and old whiskey barrels to create a beautiful outdoor wellbeing space for Siemens Energy in Manchester.
The reclaimed wood was used to build planters, seating and tables as well as a pergola with a polycarbonate roof to protect users from the inclement weather meaning the space can be used all year round.
The whole process, from initial design to completion was taken care of by our talented Touch Wood colleagues. We’re sure you’ll agree that their hard work paid off creating an inviting space for Siemens Energy workers to take a break.
If you’re looking to revamp your outdoor area, whether commercial or domestic, give us a ring to talk through a sustainable solution. Call now on 0161 223 8200.
As schools across Greater Manchester break up for the long summer holidays, many families face a significant challenge. They struggle with not knowing how to feed everyone. Throughout the holidays, FareShare Greater Manchester remains committed to our operations. We will continue to support over 300 charities and community organisations that depend on the food we supply.
In the run up to the holidays, our corporate partner, N Brown, has been supporting us with a food donation drive at its two sites in Greater Manchester. Colleagues were invited to bring in non-perishable foods which could be used to make packed lunches during the summer holidays. We were invited along to meet colleagues at one of their collection points. It was fabulous to see so many people coming along during their lunch break to drop off their donations. In addition to donations of food, colleagues also donated £670 to support our work.
We have also been working in partnership with Kellogg’s to distribute pallets of cereal to organisations across Greater Manchester as part of their drive to help those in need. Last week, a lorry load of Corn Flakes and Rice Krispies was delivered to our Openshaw warehouse. We have now redistributed the cereal to hubs in Manchester, Oldham, Salford, Tameside and Wigan supporting families in need.
FareShare UK is one of the beneficiaries of a £1 million donation from Tesco supermarkets. The Trussell Trust is also sharing in the donation to support work being done to alleviate ‘holiday hunger’. FareShare CEO, George Wright welcomed the news saying that with around three-quarters of the 8,500 organisations that FareShare UK supports providing food for children and families, supplies nationally are under immense pressure:
This generous donation from Tesco will ensure we continue providing vital holiday hunger support to charities that rely on FareShare food to strengthen their local communities this summer. Our surplus sourcing model means every £1 donation enables over £4 of nutritious food to support those in need. We are deeply grateful for Tesco’s continued commitment to our partnership
George Wright
CEO of FareShare
Other supermarkets are supporting holiday hunger with initiatives like free children’s meals with paying adults at in-store cafes and other offers too. Please check with your local supermarket to find out what services are available.
FareShare Greater Manchester couldn’t do the amazing work we do without our brilliant volunteer delivery driver team. Last year, we rescued 1,929 tonnes of surplus food from going to waste. We redistributed it to 306 charities across Greater Manchester. That food is equal to 4.6 million meals. Most of it was delivered by our super volunteer delivery drivers.
One of those drivers is Martyn Spray. Martyn is a retired primary school headteacher who first volunteered with us after taking early retirement from education. He now works three days a week, distributing food to our Community Food Partners across Greater Manchester.
We joined Martyn on one of his deliveries to learn more about his work with FareShare. Also, to find out why he decided to volunteer with us.
As a driver, I get to chat with other volunteers as we drive around the region. Who would have thought that I could meet people with experiences from all over the world, without leaving my cab! I have also had the opportunity to improve my driving skills and am now a qualified HGV driver, all because I started volunteering for FareShare!
Martyn
FareShare Greater Manchester delivery driver
7:30am – Martyn’s workday starts bright and early. He arrives at our warehouse in New Smithfield Market, ready to load the van. His task includes preparing for five deliveries to the Wigan area of Greater Manchester.
“My day begins around 7:30am, when I collect the keys and do a vehicle check. Next, I pick up the driver board. This helps me find out where I will be delivering or collecting surplus food. I also chat with the warehouse team. We check if a volunteer driver’s assistant will join me for the day’s rounds.”
“The next step is to decide upon the most efficient route and load up the vehicle ready for the morning. This normally takes an hour or so, then it’s off we go. The charities we deal with are spread far and wide. Sometimes, it’s inner city Manchester or the suburbs. Other times, it’s out to Glossop, New Mills, Macclesfield,Wigan and everywhere in between!”
Crates of food from aubergines to crisps, frozen spaghetti carbonara to cornflakes were loaded onboard before the important job of sorting through the paperwork ahead of the deliveries. Once everything was in order, it was time to hit the road.
9:00am – En route to Wigan, Martyn chatted about how he ended up working for FareShare Greater Manchester as a delivery driver.
“I chose to become a volunteer delivery driver for FareShare in January 2019, having mostly worked indoors for the majority of my career, I wanted a different office every day. Helping others and meeting a wide variety of people in different parts of Greater Manchester, seemed a great opportunity.”
During lockdown, Martyn also worked as a delivery driver for a supermarket, he now works for FareShare three days a week.
“Delivering to the charities is one of the most rewarding aspects of the role. Not only do I see how the excess food is used efficiently and avoids waste, but I also get to chat with a wide range of people. This interaction helps in numerous ways to support others. It’s great to talk to inspiring individuals working for the good of their neighbours and an opportunity to learn about the different communities in our region.” Martyn continued, “through driving for FareShare Greater Manchester, I have learnt so much about the food industry, food hygiene, logistics and various communities across Greater Manchester.”
10:25am – Saw us in Wigan, to make deliveries to Fur Clemt, Wigan Youth Zone (pictured below, left & centre) and three more of our community food members. It was great to see where the food was going and meet the organisations working with their local communities. At each destination, I completed the paperwork. This included noting the time of delivery, the temperature of the refrigerated unit on the vehicle, and obtaining a signature from the person receiving the delivery.
FareShare Greater Manchester supplied food either by delivery or collection to more than 300 charities and community organisations last year including to food banks, schools and community kitchens.
On our return journey to New Smithfield Market, Martyn shared more about the opportunities he has enjoyed while driving for FareShare Greater Manchester. “As a volunteer delivery driver, I get to chat with other volunteers as we drive around the region. Who would have thought I could meet people with experiences from all over the world without leaving my cab? I have also had the opportunity to improve my driving skills and am now a qualified HGV driver, all because I started volunteering for FareShare!”
1:00pm – Back at base, Martyn takes a lunch break. After that, he loads the van once more before heading out for an afternoon round of deliveries. Our time with Martyn had come to an end. Before waving him off on his next round of deliveries, we asked one final question: What would you say to someone who is thinking of volunteering with us as a volunteer delivery driver? His reply was to the point, “It’s a no brainer! DO IT!”
We could not do what we do without our wonderful volunteers. Currently we need more volunteer delivery drivers to get the food out to those who need it most. If you’ve been inspired by Martyn’s story and want to find out more, please click on the button below. Full training is given to all our volunteers for the roles they take up and we’d love to hear from you!
Children from three Greater Manchester primary schools have sold fruit and vegetables they grew themselves to raise funds for FareShare. The pupils from Abbott Community Primary School in Collyhurst, Primrose Hill Primary School in Salford and Rodney House School in Longsight cultivated fruit, vegetables and herbs in partnership with School Food Matters and an educational farm just outside Manchester.
The children first planted their vegetable seeds in April and since then, have been learning new skills around food production and selling. The expertly grown produce included potatoes, carrots, onions, swedes and apples as well as lots of herbs and even some fresh eggs. They sold their produce from stalls on Market Street in Manchester city centre last Friday.
Young Marketeers is a food education programme which gives pupils the chance to grow food and then sell what they have produced. During each project, the charity ‘School Food Matters’ runs educational sessions for the children with expert gardeners, chefs and programme leaders on topics such as food production and waste, how to grow and harvest food and tips on how to sell produce in local markets.
Pupils have the chance to get their hands dirty with gardening and seed sowing sessions, learn about marketing and finally interact with the public as they sell what they have produced. By donating the money they made on the stalls to FareShare, they have also learned about the importance of supporting local food charities and combating food waste. Learn more here on our broader approach to combating hunger through community engagement.
The children did a fantastic job of selling their produce to passers-by and chatting to them about where the food had come from. They handled the money, giving the correct change to their customers and bagging up what people had bought.
All of the money raised by the Manchester stalls – an amazing amount of almost £350 has been donated to FareShare Greater Manchester. Thanks so much to Abbott Community School, Primrose Hill Primary School & Rodney House School for doing such a fantastic job!
It’s been a week since we held our annual Volunteers Week celebration barbecue at FareShare Greater Manchester. More than thirty attendees joined the event to celebrate the fantastic work they do for us.
Despite the recent wet weather, we were lucky enough to enjoy sunshine at our Maynard House headquarters. We fired up the barbecue and got it ready for action. Participants and staff mingled in our canteen and spilled out into our garden. They enjoyed each other’s company and the fabulous array of food on offer.
The highlight of the event was a special presentation made to our volunteers on behalf of the Lord Mayor of Manchester, Cllr Paul Andrews, in recognition of the work they do to support FareShare Greater Manchester. The volunteer teams from the warehouse, office, FareShare Plus, our evening team, our drivers and volunteers from our sister organisation Touch Wood, were all presented with certificates from the Lord Mayor by our CEO, Lucy Danger and Head of Volunteering, Liz Lauder.
Our volunteers are all amazing and without them we would not be able to support more than 300 charity food partners with 5 million meals each year.
Find out more about volunteering opportunities with FareShare Greater Manchester.
Cllr Paul Andrews, the Lord Mayor of Manchester had this message to all volunteers serving the community of Manchester during Volunteers’ Week 2024:
Volunteers Week took place from 3–9 June. We used the opportunity to celebrate the invaluable contributions of everyone who gives their time to support FareShare Greater Manchester. We couldn’t do what we do without them.
This year, we highlighted a range of volunteer roles – including our increasingly popular corporate volunteer opportunities in Greater Manchester, where employees from local businesses join us for a day of team-based volunteering.
We regularly welcome corporate teams into our warehouse to take part in a structured volunteering day. These sessions are designed to help businesses engage their employees in meaningful work, build stronger teams and contribute to tackling food poverty and waste across the region.
Each volunteering day begins with an induction and training session, followed by hands-on work such as picking food orders and loading vans for delivery. After a lunch made from surplus food, volunteers often join our drivers on deliveries, giving them the chance to see first-hand the impact they’re making in the community.
These corporate volunteer opportunities offer clear benefits to both FareShare GM and our partners. We receive much-needed hands-on support in our warehouse and on the road, while companies gain a powerful CSR experience and a deeper understanding of social and environmental issues.
Some participants even enjoy the day so much that they return as regular volunteers!
At the end of each volunteering session, we ask teams to reflect on their experience. Many tell us they found the day eye-opening and rewarding and often leave with a fresh perspective on food waste, poverty and community support.
If your business is looking for ways to give back locally, our corporate volunteer opportunities in Greater Manchester offer a flexible, impactful way to get involved. Whether you’re a small team or a large company, we can tailor the experience to suit your needs and schedule.
We are seeking support from the business community across the region to help us continue supporting those people for whom hunger is an everyday reality. Here, at FareShare Greater Manchester, we believe that together we can:
By becoming a corporate partner of FareShare Greater Manchester, you will be alleviating hunger, tackling food waste AND will help engage your colleagues and clients, create positive PR opportunities and help your company achieve its CSR and Sustainability objectives.
We are, in essence, a small charity creating a big impact in the communities across the region.