New figures released by UK food charity FareShare show a sharp rise in demand on charities for food as people all over Britain struggle to put dinner on the table. 42% of charities surveyed reported an increase in demand for food in the past year as food prices soar and the recession bites, putting additional strain on families and people on low incomes.

An additional 1 in 3 of the charities surveyed are facing government funding cuts, with 65% of these charities are slashing food budgets in an effort to stay afloat.

FareShare is helping to take some of this strain by providing surplus, good quality food from the food industry to a network of grassroots community organisations all over the UK, saving them almost £8 million a year in food and other costs. This food is now reaching 35,000 people a day, up from 29,000 last year - following the largest ever yearly increase in the number of charities desperate for FareShare food, up from 600 to 700.

Lindsay Boswell, Chief Executive of FareShare says: “At a time of unprecedented demand we want the food industry and the general public to increase their support.”

Last year, the food industry redirected 3,600 tonnes of surplus food to FareShare enabling the charity to provide 8.6 million meals for vulnerable people. The food is distributed to community organisations providing not only food, but other essential support services.  Fareshare distributes daily to organisations such as homeless hostels, day centres, breakfast clubs, and women’s refuges. 

One organisation receiving food from FareShare is The Bridge – Homelessness to Hope in Leicester, who run a drop in centre providing hot meals for the homeless. They have seen an increase in people using their service from 150 to almost 300 per week between July 2010 and July 2011. Keith Lawson-West, Trustee, says: “The work of FareShare is immense. We always have people who are hungry, some who say they haven’t eaten for days. We couldn’t have financed the extra food without FareShare.”

FareShare’s survey found that 41% of respondents are unable to buy food on a regular basis, meaning that they are more reliant on charities for help.

Boswell continues: “This research supports the growing anecdotal evidence we’ve seen in recent months – more people are getting in touch with FareShare asking for help to access food. We’re committed to working with grassroots charities to make a significant difference to the diets of people in communities all over the UK but we need more food to meet this increased demand. We’re asking anyone who works in the food industry in any capacity to look at what is happening to their surplus food and to ask themselves a simple question, ‘Could this food stop someone going hungry?’”

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A Briefing for Diocese and other Groups interested in a FareShare development in the region is available HERE

Notes to Editors:

About FareShare:

• FareShare is the national charity fighting hunger in the UK by redistributing quality surplus food from the food industry to a network of community organisations that support homeless and other vulnerable people. The charity also provides training and education around the essential life skills of safe food preparation and nutrition, and warehouse employability training through FareShare’s Eat Well Live Well programme.

• Last year 3,600 tonnes of food were redistributed from the food/drink industry, by FareShare, to 700 projects serving the disadvantaged and vulnerable in the community.  This equated to 8.6 million meals provided for the most vulnerable. FareShare currently has 17 locations around the UK and regularly works with over 100 companies in the food and drink industry.

• FareShare is unique in that it secures surplus, fit to eat, food from the food industry and redistributes it to community charities helping those in need, saving them nearly £8 million per year in food and other costs.

• FareShare is a winner of ‘Britain’s Most Admired Charity’ (2010) awarded by the third sector.

• £1 to FareShare can help the charity provide food towards 4 square meals for vulnerable people.

About the FareShare 2011 National Impact Survey:

*The statistics have been collated through the FareShare National Impact Report, carried out on every 3 years.  It is undertaken with FareShare’s Community Members and their clients with the support of market research company MarketTools. Response rate 29% of 530 Community Members of the 700 organisations that receive food from FareShare. Face to face questionnaire with 468 people who visited 158 of the 530 charities in the FareShare Community Food Network. 

The survey also shows that:

- 81.5% of the organisations receiving food from FareShare are able to redirect money saved into other support services.

- 73.5% of their clients eat their main meal at the centre and 11.5% have nowhere else to go.

- Almost 2 of 3 clients have gone without a proper meal for a day or more in the last year.

- Other than the fruit and vegetable they eat at the centre, 18% never eat fruit and veg and 28% only have fruit and veg once a week.

For more information on FareShare and the National Impact Survey, please contact Maria Olesen 020 7394 2467 maria.olesen@fareshare.org.uk or Grace Rowley 020 7394 2460 grace.rowley@fareshare.org.uk

For more information on FareShare Leicester, please contact John Willetts, Project Director on 07867 527 063; or Simone Connolly on 07863 763 647 fareshare@LecCoE.org