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Austerity: boom times for the soup kitchen food supplier Austerity: boom times for the soup kitchen food supplier
(5 months later)
From soup kitchens to OAP lunch clubs and domestic violence refuges, food social enterprise FareShare's customers are a useful barometer of the impact of austerity and cuts on Britain's most vulnerable communities.From soup kitchens to OAP lunch clubs and domestic violence refuges, food social enterprise FareShare's customers are a useful barometer of the impact of austerity and cuts on Britain's most vulnerable communities.
This morning FareShare published its latest annual figures: they show not only that demand from charities and community groups for its low-cost, high-quality food supplies is booming (I wrote about this here), but that it is comprehensively outstripping supply.This morning FareShare published its latest annual figures: they show not only that demand from charities and community groups for its low-cost, high-quality food supplies is booming (I wrote about this here), but that it is comprehensively outstripping supply.
According to FareShare chief executive Lindsay Boswell:According to FareShare chief executive Lindsay Boswell:
What this tells us is that more and more front line charities who are providing front line support to the most vulnerable people are turning to us as a financial coping mechanism because local authority grants, statutory funding and funds from other sources are hard to come by.
What this tells us is that more and more front line charities who are providing front line support to the most vulnerable people are turning to us as a financial coping mechanism because local authority grants, statutory funding and funds from other sources are hard to come by.
Over the past 12 months, FareShare has distributed 4,200 tonnes of surplus food "rescued" from supermarkets to local charities and community groups which provide meals to beneficiaries, up 16% on 2011-12. That haul (which otherwise would have ended up in landfill) contributed to an estimated 10 million charity meals, feeding 44,000 people a day (up from 36,500 the year before).Over the past 12 months, FareShare has distributed 4,200 tonnes of surplus food "rescued" from supermarkets to local charities and community groups which provide meals to beneficiaries, up 16% on 2011-12. That haul (which otherwise would have ended up in landfill) contributed to an estimated 10 million charity meals, feeding 44,000 people a day (up from 36,500 the year before).
FareShare now supplies 910 charities and community groups (up by 26% on 2011-12). These organisations, a tiny fraction of the UK's voluntary welfare safety net, pay annual membership fees equivalent to roughly 10% of the value of the food they consume. Many more want to join up but FareShare simply cannot source enough food to supply them. Some of FareShare's 17 depots have waiting lists of 50-60 charities wanting to sign up.FareShare now supplies 910 charities and community groups (up by 26% on 2011-12). These organisations, a tiny fraction of the UK's voluntary welfare safety net, pay annual membership fees equivalent to roughly 10% of the value of the food they consume. Many more want to join up but FareShare simply cannot source enough food to supply them. Some of FareShare's 17 depots have waiting lists of 50-60 charities wanting to sign up.
Last Autumn it published an impact survey among its members which revealed that 42% were suffering from government cuts while 59% reported an increase in demand for food from their beneficiaries. Over two-thirds predicted that demand for meals would rise in future.Last Autumn it published an impact survey among its members which revealed that 42% were suffering from government cuts while 59% reported an increase in demand for food from their beneficiaries. Over two-thirds predicted that demand for meals would rise in future.
Back then I spoke to youth worker Amie Wheal, who provides a Friday evening meal for local children on the Preston road estate in Hull, Humberside, using food supplied by FareShare, for which it pays £250 a year. The charity she works for, Child Dynamix, also sends out food parcels to financially struggling local families. It had experienced a 70% increase in demand for the meals from families finding it hard to make ends meet.Back then I spoke to youth worker Amie Wheal, who provides a Friday evening meal for local children on the Preston road estate in Hull, Humberside, using food supplied by FareShare, for which it pays £250 a year. The charity she works for, Child Dynamix, also sends out food parcels to financially struggling local families. It had experienced a 70% increase in demand for the meals from families finding it hard to make ends meet.
I caught up with Amie again yesterday: she told me need among local families had probably increased, though the charity itself was full to capacity and could do no more, even with the help of the FareShare drop:I caught up with Amie again yesterday: she told me need among local families had probably increased, though the charity itself was full to capacity and could do no more, even with the help of the FareShare drop:
I think there's lots of demand out there but we are limited to amount of families we can work with because of staffing and capacity constraints. If we had more funding the chances are we would have new people here every night.
I think there's lots of demand out there but we are limited to amount of families we can work with because of staffing and capacity constraints. If we had more funding the chances are we would have new people here every night.
Boswell reckons that the food industry - supermarkets, manufacturers and distributors - could release much more surplus food. It handles just 0.1% of UK food waste; increase that to 1% and FareShare's member charities could feed, in theory, 400,000 people a day - although whether the member charities - like Child Dynamix - have the logistical capacity needed to provide that level of meals without extra funding is open to question.Boswell reckons that the food industry - supermarkets, manufacturers and distributors - could release much more surplus food. It handles just 0.1% of UK food waste; increase that to 1% and FareShare's member charities could feed, in theory, 400,000 people a day - although whether the member charities - like Child Dynamix - have the logistical capacity needed to provide that level of meals without extra funding is open to question.
Both Boswell and Wheal suspect that the impact of welfare reforms will increase demand, although they say it is too early to say for sure. FareShare and its members may have a role in helping to ameliorate some of the social damage of austerity measures but already the scale of the challenge is daunting.Both Boswell and Wheal suspect that the impact of welfare reforms will increase demand, although they say it is too early to say for sure. FareShare and its members may have a role in helping to ameliorate some of the social damage of austerity measures but already the scale of the challenge is daunting.
As Boswell puts it:As Boswell puts it:
If you look at the number of charities out there providing food we could expand 50 times over. The need is absolutely enormous
If you look at the number of charities out there providing food we could expand 50 times over. The need is absolutely enormous
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