It’s Volunteers Week from 3-9 June and we couldn’t do what we do without our amazing team of volunteers. This week, we’re highlighting some of our volunteer roles to showcase the work they do:
You hear about food insecurity and food poverty on the news. You read the statistics, but meeting these organisations and hearing about their amazing work makes you see it for real. This volunteering role keeps me grounded. I can go home after a day’s work, have a bath, and there’s food in the cupboard.
Sally
FareShare Plus Volunteer
Sally, a retired primary school headteacher, has been volunteering for FareShare Greater Manchester for more than 3 ½ years. After her retirement, Sally was looking for a new purpose. She wanted to give something back.
In teaching, Sally saw the impact of food insecurity and poverty on not only the children but the parents too. Her school’s policy was that no child should begin the day without food, so it provided wraparound care with breakfast and afterschool clubs.
As a ‘Green Flag School’ it followed environmental guidelines for reuse and recycling, (food waste being one of those issues). Some of her pupils visited FareShare Greater Manchester on a school trip. They looked at the redistribution of surplus food and other operations at our warehouse.
Retiring in the middle of the pandemic, Sally felt that by volunteering for FareShare Greater Manchester, she could do something positive. She knew how hard it can be to enlist the help of volunteers in schools. Sally imagined it was hard for charities too. She met our head of volunteering, Liz, and says on the first day she knew, “I need to do this!”
Sally believes it was only natural that she should become a volunteer for FareShare Greater Manchester. We share the same ethos of supporting families and the wider community, combating food waste and education.
Volunteering here has been a complete change from her previous career. She moved from working in a school environment to warehouse work in all weathers. However, Sally, a FareShare Plus volunteer, really enjoys it. “I love meeting people. I enjoy chatting to the charities and organisations who come to FareShare Plus to collect the food. They come from all walks of life and different backgrounds. It’s fascinating to hear about the work they’re doing in their own communities. You only hear about the big charities on the news, but the work the grassroots charities are doing is so important.”
Sally’s previous teaching and management skills have been transferable to her current role in FareShare Plus. However, all volunteers receive full training before they begin. This training includes food safety, manual handling, and other aspects involved in the role. Sally says the encouragement volunteers are given is brilliant. “Lots of volunteers go on to secure paid roles both here at FareShare and elsewhere. It helps improve your CV and really boosts your confidence. Many people come to volunteer after being out of work for a time. It can be a stepping stone to something else.”
Another benefit for Sally was physical. “My fitness levels went up. Volunteering here two days a week meant I didn’t need to go to the gym!” She also says it puts a lot of things into perspective for her. “You hear about food insecurity and food poverty on the news. You read the statistics, but to meet these organisations and hear about the amazing work they are doing makes you see it for real. This volunteering role keeps me grounded. I can go home after a day’s work, have a bath, and there’s food in the cupboard. Not everyone is as fortunate as that.”
Sally’s service to FareShare Greater Manchester was recognised in 2023 in a special FareShare UK Volunteers Celebration. “I was honoured to be nominated for the FareShare UK Volunteer Awards last year for Leadership in Volunteering – and I won it! The FareShare Plus team was also nominated for an award and won.”
If you are considering volunteering, Sally has this advice: “Do it! You need to be committed, but there’s flexibility to make the role work around you and your needs. Different personalities suit different jobs. The role can be tailor-made for you. I’m really sociable and love meeting all the customers. Other people prefer a job in the warehouse preparing the food for dispatch instead. You get out of it what you put in.”
She continues, “Come and work for someone who appreciates you! Our volunteers are well looked after. There are lunches, a cage of food if you need something for yourself, and lots of training. It gives you the confidence to push yourself out of your comfort zone, especially if you have not been working for a while.”
It’s Volunteers Week from 3-9 June and we couldn’t do what we do without our amazing team of volunteers. This week, we’re highlighting some of our volunteer roles to showcase the work they do:
“I hate seeing food waste, so that’s the number one priority, I think, for the whole organisation”
Nick
Volunteer van driver for FareShare Greater Manchester
Nick has been volunteering as a driver for FareShare Greater Manchester for almost 3 years. After retiring, he felt the need to contribute and decided to dedicate one day a week to volunteering. “I come here most Mondays, and occasionally, when they’re desperate, I’ll come in if I’ve not got anything else on – like a round of golf – then I’ll do another day, but mostly, I do Mondays.”
Every day is different when you’re driving a van for FareShare, but the structure of the days are the same. Nick says his average day starts early, “I’m here normally by half past 7, but we usually finish around 3”. In the middle of the day, once the first round of deliveries is complete, “I get back here for an hour or so and load up the van a second time.”
The benefits of regularly volunteering for FareShare are many, says Nick volunteer van driver. “It’s good exercise, it’s not too strenuous, and the people are very nice.” He continues, “I hate seeing food waste, so that’s the number one priority, I think, for the whole organisation. Making sure that food goes to those who need it, it’s as simple as that.”
FareShare Greater Manchester is looking for more volunteer van drivers to help deliver the food to those who need it most. Our delivery drivers are vital to the work we do. Drivers make sure our food gets delivered to charity members across Greater Manchester. You must be over 21 to do this role, have a full, clean licence and recent, relevant, and regular van driving experience.
For anyone considering getting involved, Nick has this advice: “Give it a go! I started with a friend of mine and we drive the van together, so we have a bit of fun on a Monday, but even when I’m on my own, its very rewarding – it’s good fun. It gets me up in the morning and I enjoy the day, I enjoy the people”.
If reading our Nick Volunteer van driver story has got you thinking about volunteering, please get in touch!
It’s Volunteers Week from 3-9 June. We couldn’t do what we do without our amazing team of volunteers. This week, we’re highlighting some of our volunteer roles to showcase the work they do:
Karin, originally from Scotland, has spent much of her life in Manchester. She worked as a team manager at IBM for more than 18 years. After leaving IBM, she followed her passion for travelling the world to teach English. This new career path saw her volunteering in Africa, India, and Central America. She returned to Manchester in 2009.
Soon after her return, Karin started volunteering with FareShare Greater Manchester. “I love food and am environmentally aware and very conscious about not wasting food. So I Googled ‘food charities’ and FareShare Greater Manchester popped up,” she says.
Karin’s first role with us involved working in the warehouse. However, her career experience in finance and project management made her better suited to fundraising. During the 15 years Karin has been with us, she has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds.
The best thing about volunteering for FareShare Greater Manchester
“It has to be the people you meet – they’re a great bunch with a great ethos. They’re funny and there’s a good diversity of people” says Karin.
Most of Karin’s time with us is spent applying for grants. Each grant application is different, with varying expectations and requirements. To simplify the process, Karin started using AI to help write the applications.
Highlights of her time volunteering
Karin finds it gratifying to see more people becoming aware of us now. She says, “Fundraising and applying to charitable trusts and foundations is a tough process. It’s very gratifying to see the number of people who set themselves a challenge individually to raise funds for us.” Many people have run marathons and undertaken various sporting challenges to raise funds for FareShare Greater Manchester.
Karin says she has had many conversations about volunteering over the years and has this advice; “find something that interests you, something that you have a connection with”.
Despite being retired, Karin keeps very busy volunteering for several charities around the Greater Manchester area. In addition to her work with us, Karin has volunteered in a school, a hospital shop, as a respite carer and as a volunteer gardener too.
If reading Karin’s story has got you thinking about volunteering, please get in touch!
It was Volunteers Week from 3-9th June. We couldn’t do what we do without our amazing team of volunteers. This week, we’re highlighting some of our volunteer roles to showcase the work they do:
“It’s really hectic, but it’s great! I love the camaraderie here!”
Claire
Warehouse Volunteer
Claire joined us in September 2020 as a warehouse volunteer. She says she heard about FareShare Greater Manchester at the right time; “I saw something in the papers about FareShare when I was just about to retire. I thought, ‘I need to do something with all this new free time’. This looked good and I thought that I should explore it.”
On an average day in the warehouse Claire helps prepare the food orders ready for the delivery drivers to do their rounds. There’s never a dull moment Claire tells us, “It’s hectic. I usually get in early and it’s really hectic but it’s great! I love the camaraderie in here!”
Our warehouse volunteers are at the heart of what we do. Our team is responsible for sorting, storing and recording the food we get delivered to our warehouse. They also assemble food orders for our community food members across Greater Manchester. Every day is different and our volunteers are part of a fun, welcoming team. There’s something for people of all abilities!
The work our volunteers contribute to support what FareShare Greater Manchester does is invaluable to us. There are more charities and community groups reaching out to us and asking for help every week. Claire says she knows how important her volunteering role is, “We are more than aware of food poverty these days and the need for food banks unfortunately. Somebody needs to be able to supply all those food banks and we do what we can to help”.
Since signing up as a warehouse volunteer with us, Claire’s been spreading the word and encouraging others to give it a go. “Quite a few friends have joined FareShare since I started, one in FareShare Plus and some on the floor here as well. It’s very rewarding. It’s hard work, but it’s very rewarding and I really enjoy it because we are all similarly minded. It’s good fun!”
If hearing Claire’s story has got you thinking about volunteering, please get in touch!
A huge thank you to our former volunteer, Isobel Spray, for running the Great Manchester Run 10K for FareShare Greater Manchester! Your support means the world to us and makes a significant impact on our mission.
This contribution helps us continue our efforts in fighting food poverty and reducing food waste across Greater Manchester. Isobel is pictured below with her proud Dad, Martyn, who is one of our brilliant delivery drivers. Thank you, Isobel, for your dedication and effort!
We depend on charity donations such as this to be able to serve all our charity partners across Greater Manchester. If you are considering supporting a charity on a forthcoming sporting challenge, please consider choosing FareShare Greater Manchester!
Donations like Isobel’s are crucial for our operations. We depend on charity donations to serve all our charity partners across Greater Manchester. Each contribution helps us redistribute surplus food to those who need it most. The funds raised enable us to maintain our delivery services, support our volunteers, and expand our reach to more communities in need.
Supporting FareShare Greater Manchester means you’re directly contributing to a cause that tackles both food waste and hunger. We work tirelessly to ensure that no good food goes to waste and that it reaches those who need it. By participating in events like the Great Manchester Run 10K, you can make a tangible difference in your community. Your efforts help us provide over 7 million meals each year to people facing food insecurity.
If you are considering supporting a charity in a forthcoming sporting challenge, please consider choosing FareShare Greater Manchester! Whether you’re a runner, cyclist or enjoy other sports, your participation can help us raise vital funds. We welcome individuals and teams to join our cause and help us make a greater impact.
There are many ways to support FareShare Greater Manchester beyond participating in sporting events. You can volunteer your time, make regular donations, or encourage local businesses to donate surplus food. Every action counts and contributes to our mission.
Thank you once again, Isobel, for running the Great Manchester Run 10K and for your incredible support. Together, we can make a significant difference in the lives of many.
Find out more about donating to charity at FareShare Greater Manchester. Your generosity helps us continue our important work and supports our vision of a world where no one goes hungry.
We’re thrilled to have received a mayoral pin badge from the outgoing Mayor of Tameside, Councillor Tafheen Sharif. This honour recognises the work FareShare Greater Manchester has done to support community organisations in the borough.
Cllr Sharif visited one of our Community Food Members, the Tameside Meal Project, earlier this week. The visit was part of her final week of engagements before she hands over the mayoral chains to the current Deputy Mayor, Cllr Betty Affleck. This Tameside mayor recognition highlights the importance of our work in the community.
It’s really important that we work together, stick together and make a difference
Cllr Tafheen Sharif
Mayor of Tameside
Kala Mandviwala from the Tameside Meal Project was honoured with a badge. Andy Chadwick from Tameside East Foodbank at Reach Church in Millbrook also received a badge. The Tameside East Foodbank distributes some of the meals produced by the project. This Tameside mayor recognition underscores the vital role these organisations play in supporting vulnerable residents.
The Tameside Meal Project is run by Kala Mandviwala. She uses surplus food from FareShare Greater Manchester. Each week, Kala and her team of volunteers cook around 150-200 meals. These meals are then distributed to vulnerable people in the borough through charity partners.
During her visit, Cllr Sharif donned an apron and helped dish up the meals ready for distribution. The Mayor said it was “mind-blowing” to see the work being done by so many people to help those in need. However, she felt “upset that the need is there.”
While presenting Karina, our Membership Coordinator with the pin badge for the whole of FareShare Greater Manchester, Cllr Sharif said “Thank you for all you do, not just in Tameside but across Greater Manchester. It’s really inspiring to hear about all you do – keep up the good work!”
Thanks to a generous donation from Sainsbury’s we have a brand new freezer at the FareShare Greater Manchester HQ which significantly increased storage capacity. The new appliance at Maynard House gives us an additional 50 pallet spaces to store frozen food and means we are able to further support charities across our region.
Since frozen stock has a longer life than many other types of food, this additional freezer space really helps us manage the peaks and troughs often experienced in food supplies and will be invaluable in our work going forwards. Not only does it help with storage of pre-frozen items, it also allows us to extend the life of short-dated food too.
Our sincere thanks to Sainsbury’s for this generous support and to Cold Touch UK who fitted the freezer for us. This new freezer capacity is a game-changer for us. The increased storage capacity has enabled FareShare Greater Manchester to expand our impact and support more people in need. Additionally, the ability to store more frozen food allows us to diversify the types of meals we can offer, providing greater variety and nutritional value to those we support.
We continue to seek partnerships with local businesses and food companies to sustain our mission. By donating surplus food, companies can play a crucial role in addressing food insecurity in Greater Manchester. Could your food company donate surplus food to help those in need? If so, we’d love to hear from you.
We are delighted to have been chosen as The Trafford Centre charity partners for 2023/24, alongside two other amazing charities Stockdales and Look Good Feel Better. Fareshare Greater Manchester will each receive a share of the money dropped into the Trafford Centre fountains. Alongside this, we will be working closely with the centre on fundraising and awareness-raising campaigns.
Since its opening in 1998, the Trafford Centre has collected over £1.2 million from its fountains. Each coin dropped into the water undergoes meticulous cleaning and drying before generously donating to the centre’s nominated charities.
Our dedication is to create a lasting impact on our communities. Beyond the monetary support from the Fountain Fund, we aim to raise awareness about hunger and food waste issues. As Trafford Centre charity partners, our initiatives extend to fundraising events, food drives and community outreach programs. We, along with charity partners Stockdales and Look Good Feel Better, aim to create a supportive network. This network not only helps those in immediate need but also contributes to building a more resilient and sustainable future. Join us on this meaningful journey to transform lives and combat food insecurity in the Greater Manchester region.
FareShare Greater Manchester has been fighting hunger and tackling food waste in the region since 2008 – throughout the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis, we have been feeding 35,000 people weekly. With more people than ever before facing food insecurity, we are so thrilled to be chosen as one of the Trafford Centre’s Charity Partner of the Year 23/24. With support from the Trafford Centre and the Fountain Fund, we’re looking to further our outreach, provide food to more breakfast clubs, food banks, community grocers and pantries, continuing to strengthen our communities through food.
Ruth Downes
Head of Development
Fareshare Greater Manchester’s selection as The Trafford Centre’s charity partner for 2023/24 is a testament to our ongoing commitment to fighting hunger and food waste in the region. This prestigious partnership, alongside fellow charities Stockdales and Look Good Feel Better, marks a significant milestone in our mission to create a positive impact on our communities.
Recently, we celebrated the annual FareShare UK Volunteer Awards. Every year, we host a lunch for our volunteers. We also connect with other FareShare regional centres via live stream to recognise their hard work and dedication.
Our volunteers received recognition on three occasions, acknowledging their outstanding efforts in the fight against food poverty. All winners and highly commended volunteers received a framed certificate, to show our gratitude for their service.
Congratulations to our volunteers:
We are so proud to have a team of selfless and hard-working volunteers who help FareShare Greater Manchester to run smoothly, and the volunteer awards is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate them.
Read about our opportunities if you’re interested in volunteering with us.
As we celebrate our volunteers, we also invite others who may be inspired to join our cause. Volunteering with FareShare Greater Manchester is not only a chance to make a difference but also an opportunity for personal growth, community engagement, and meaningful connections.
At FareShare Greater Manchester, everyone can find a role, whether sorting food donations, driving deliveries or assisting with administrative tasks. Join us in our mission to tackle food poverty and build a more equitable and resilient society for all.
At FareShare Greater Manchester, we’re committed to fighting food poverty. Our dedication extends beyond providing surplus food to the charities we support. We believe in empowering individuals with the skills and knowledge they need to make the most of their resources. Thanks to generous funding from Salford CVS, we recently completed a 4-week low-cost cookery course in Salford. It’s a project that showcases our dedication to fostering self-sufficiency and sustainability in the community.
Held at Oasis Community Hub, our cookery course brought together nine participants eager to learn from our talented chef, Kala. The primary goal was to equip these individuals with skills and techniques to prepare delicious, nutritious meals on a budget. We also aimed to teach them the art of minimising food waste and maximising the use of leftovers.
As the course came to a close, we wanted to ensure that our participants could use their new skills at home. Each individual received a complimentary slow cooker, hand blender, and a ‘pantry pack’ full of essential cupboard items, such as herbs and spices, rice and pasta, and tinned tomatoes and pulses. These tools will simplify meal preparation and enable them to cook meals without using large amounts of energy. The blender can be used to create soup from leftover vegetables.
We have received overwhelmingly positive feedback from our participants. The majority indicated that they had learned how to prepare healthier meals with reduced salt and oil content, as well as reducing waste by creating side dishes from leftovers, such as Bhajis made using cauliflower leaves!
We will be taking on a new cohort of participants in November, equipping even more local people will the knowledge and tools they need to create affordable, nutritious meals.
