An exciting new project to get more fresh fruit and vegetables out into the community is up and running at FareShare Greater Manchester.
The Vegelicious scheme offers bulk orders of fruit and veg to community organisations. Participants just need to commit to receive either a half pallet (400kg) or a full pallet (800kg) of mixed fruit and vegetables on a regular basis (either weekly or fortnightly).
Already up and running
Our new ‘Vegelicious’ partners are using the produce they receive to make up fruit and veg bags for the people they serve or to complement their existing food offer. Among those receiving Vegelicious deliveries already are primary schools, community cafes and community food pantries.
At FareShare Greater Manchester, we are on a mission to tackle food insecurity and reduce food waste across our city region and beyond. The Vegelicious scheme was born after we were told of the need for more fresh fruit and vegetables within the communities we serve. We listened to those requests and we hope that this is one solution.
Support from DEFRA
FareShare Greater Manchester is thrilled to have secured support through DEFRA’s ‘Surplus with Purpose’ funding which is enabling us to receive an increased amount of fresh produce in our warehouse. We know our community food member organisations would like more fresh fruit and veg and that their members are finding it expensive to buy regularly. Offering a bulk supply means we can reduce the cost and help ease the pressure.
The response has been amazing. Our Vegelicious Project Co-ordinator, Sharon, has been out and about visiting groups that have signed up so far. “People are delighted with the opportunity to increase the amount of fresh fruit and veg they eat at home and can try new things without worrying about the cost.”
Join Vegelicious
To date we have 13 fully signed up members on the Vegelicious scheme with more joining all the time. In the first nine weeks of the project we have redistributed an extra 29.6 tonnes of fruit and vegetables thanks to Vegelicious. That contributed towards nearly 70,000 meals (based on a typical 423g meal portion)!
If you are from a community group or charity which supports those experiencing food insecurity and you’re interested in finding out more, please get in touch. You can contact Sharon at sharon.robinson@emergemanchester.co.uk
We’re excited to share our 2024–25 Impact Report – a celebration of the difference we’ve made together in tackling food poverty, reducing waste, and building stronger communities across Greater Manchester.
This year has been one of continued progress. Thanks to the dedication of our volunteers, donors, and supporters, we’ve been able to:
These achievements aren’t just numbers – they represent real moments of hope and relief for individuals and families who need them most.
More Than Food Redistribution
At FareShare Greater Manchester, our mission is about more than moving surplus food from one place to another. We’re creating sustainable solutions that help people and the planet.
By redistributing quality surplus food, we’re not only addressing food insecurity but also reducing the environmental impact of waste. Every order collected or delivered is a step towards a greener, fairer future.
Inside This Year’s Impact Report
Our 2024–25 Impact Report goes beyond the statistics. Inside, you’ll discover:
Our Thanks – And Our Call to Action
Every meal provided, every tonne of food saved, every life touched – it all starts with you. We couldn’t achieve any of this without the time, energy, and generosity of our volunteers, donors, supporters and partners.
But there’s more to do. As we look ahead, we’re committed to growing our impact, reaching more people in need, and continuing the fight against food waste.
If you’d like to join us – whether by donating, volunteering, or spreading the word – we’d love to hear from you.
📞 Call: 0161 223 8200 (Option 4)
📧 Email: volunteering@faresharegm.org.uk
Together, we can build a future where good food never goes to waste, and no one goes hungry.
We’re delighted to announce that Food Stories, our FareShare Greater Manchester audio podcast, has been shortlisted in the Best Podcast category at the Manchester Publicity Association (MPA) Inspiration Awards 2025!
The MPA Inspiration Awards celebrate creativity, innovation and community impact across Greater Manchester’s media, digital and creative sectors. We’re honoured to be recognised among such an inspiring group of nominees.
Launched last year, Food Stories was created to shine a light on the incredible people behind our work – volunteers, community partners, and organisations supporting people living with food insecurity. Each episode offers a platform for voices that are often unheard, sharing real stories of resilience, compassion, and community action.
If you haven’t tuned in yet, you can find the Food Stories Podcast on your favourite podcast app or right here on our website.
We’re so grateful to everyone who’s contributed to the podcast, supported it, and helped us share these important stories. Wish us luck!
We were thrilled to host a visit from the High Sheriff of Greater Manchester, Dr Eamonn O’Neal DL, to our HQ earlier this month. Eamonn, who is High Sheriff for an historic second time, spent a few hours with us chatting with staff and volunteers and touring our operations.
During his visit, Eamonn took time to meet staff and volunteers from FareShare, FareShare Plus, Touch Wood and EMERGE Recycling. It was great to be able to show him the changes which we’ve made at Maynard House since his last visit made during Covid.
Eamonn first held the position of High Sheriff during the Covid Pandemic in 2020, being appointed to the role by the late Queen. Back then, he visited our old headquarters as well as our new, bigger site before it had been fully renovated to accommodate us as it does today.
A veteran broadcaster and journalist, having worked for Granada TV and Manchester Evening News Eamonn is still a presenter on BBC Radio Manchester from time to time.
Lucy Danger, Chief Executive at EMERGE said “It was a real delight to be able to show Eamonn our progress, following his previous visit during Covid, when the building was pretty unpleasant, work had barely begun and we were struggling with the challenges presented by the pandemic. As always, Eamonn was incredibly supportive. It was lovely to see him take the time to chat at length with several staff and volunteers, hearing their personal stories and how they fit into the EMERGE collective operations.”
The Office of High Sheriff is an independent non-political Royal appointment which runs for a single year. The office dates back to Saxon times when the post holder was responsible to the King for law and order within the shire, or county, and for the collection of taxes owed to the Crown. Today, there are 55 High Sheriffs serving the counties of England and Wales each year and they actively support and encourage crime prevention agencies, emergency services and the voluntary sector.
Eagle-eyed viewers may have spotted FareShare featured on North West Tonight earlier this week. We were visited by a reporter and camera crew from BBC North West Tonight. They were working on the news story about Marcus Rashford going on loan from Manchester United to Aston Villa.
Back in 2020, Marcus and his Mum, Melanie Maynard, visited us as part of their push to make sure children were getting access to food during the Covid lockdowns. We are proud to say that FareShare featured on North West Tonight helped raise awareness of our work. In the immediate aftermath of that visit, FareShare Greater Manchester enjoyed a boost in donations and publicity, which really helped us. We will be forever grateful for the help Marcus and his Mum gave us back then and wish him all the best for the future.
The exposure from the TV segment has allowed us to connect with even more people in Greater Manchester who are eager to support our mission. The awareness we gained helps us continue to provide vital food supplies to those who need it most, especially as we approach another busy period for the charity.
We remain committed to our goal of rescuing surplus food and redistributing it to local charities and community groups. Each new partnership, donation, and bit of media attention allows us to further our mission and reduce food waste in the region.
You can watch the news report which went out on BBC 1 on Monday evening (3rd February) here:
Normally, we just take delivery of surplus food in our yard, but last week, we were thrilled to receive 60 large fridges. The appliances were donated by Aldi for use by our community food members. The fridges were just a fraction of over 300 looking for new homes after the closure of a warehouse.
As we don’t like to see things going to waste, we reached out to our Community Food Members (CFMs) to see who could make use of them to boost their food offerings. Our CFMs have told us in the past that it can be difficult to get funding to buy equipment like fridges, so this donation was particularly welcome.
The chillers we received are destined for organisations who take surplus in-date, quality food from our FareShare Greater Manchester operation and in turn, they use it to help people in the wider community to access the food as just one means of support. The food saves the people and organisations money because it is provided very cheaply by us.
These chillers will add capacity to the beneficiary groups so they can take more available produce. The organisations can, through the savings the food offers, provide more of what they do best, such as the additional support services around debt management, housing and benefits advice, as well as various methods of pastoral and social care including counselling and family support.
Our corporate partner, GXO stepped in to collect the fridges from Aldi and bring them to our Openshaw HQ ahead of delivery to and collection by our community food members. When the fridges arrived, they were unloaded from the lorry with the help of our corporate volunteers from Enterprise Mobility.
Thank you to everyone who helped us with this mammoth operation, from Aldi for organising the donation, GXO for transporting the fridges to us and to our corporate volunteers from Enterprise Mobility for helping when they arrived.
So far, 14 of the fridges have arrived in their new homes and the rest will be following shortly! Aldi also tells us that the rest of the fridges have all been sent to be reused elsewhere ensuring none of them went to waste.
Teamwork makes the dream work!
On Thursday, Friday and Saturday last week, more than 120 volunteers helped us with the Tesco Food Collection at 9 supermarkets across Greater Manchester.
There was a fantastic turnout, our best year to date, with helpers of all ages from school-aged children up to retired people too. Our volunteers worked 3-hour-long shifts speaking to shoppers about our food collection and receiving the donations of food and toiletries.
Everyone who gave up their time to help was amazing, and their support ensures that we can continue to distribute food to those in need through our various programs, including our Get Food initiative. Some of our volunteers are veterans of the Tesco Food Collection campaign, returning for the third year running! We were even visited by 4 MPs who came along and joined in with our efforts.
We would like to say a huge thank you to all the Food Heroes who helped us with this great event – especially everyone who donated food and toiletries towards the collection and the fantastic Tesco staff who supported us throughout. A vast amount was collected and will be redistributed to our 240+ community food members in the weeks ahead. The volunteers who participated in the Tesco Food Collection truly exemplified the spirit of Tesco Food Heroes, helping us gather much-needed food donations for local communities.
At FareShare Greater Manchester, we always strive to make sure that surplus food doesn’t go to waste. Our mission is to redistribute surplus food to those who need it most, including local schools.
When we receive large quantities of surplus food with a short shelf life, we quickly spring into action to prevent it from going to waste, finding places where it can benefit local communities.
For example, in November, we received over 2,000 McDonald’s Happy Meal milk bottles that were set to expire soon. With a use-by date of 22nd November, we had to act fast. We reached out to our community food members, and Westmorland Primary School responded to our call for help. Headteacher Martin Henderson was able to accept the milk on short notice and distribute it to the school’s pupils, ensuring it didn’t go to waste.
This is just one instance of how FareShare manages surplus food, helping to reduce food waste while supporting local children. If you work in the food industry and have surplus food that could benefit schools or other community organisations, we encourage you to get in touch with us.
If you’re interested in working with FareShare to help get surplus food to schools, or if you’d like to learn more about our efforts to combat food waste, please reach out to us at ruth@emergemanchester.co.uk
You may have recently read about our fabulous Volunteer Awards which took place at our Manchester Warehouse last month. One of the awards presented during the event was the FareShare UK Perfect Pair. This honour was awarded to husband-and-wife team Ged and Julie Donnelly.
Ged and Julie began volunteering at FareShare during the Covid pandemic. They initially joined the Southampton team but later relocated to the North West. After the move, they started volunteering with FareShare Greater Manchester. Working as a team, Ged serves as a volunteer delivery van driver, while Julie assists him as his driver’s assistant.
Three weeks ago, on Budget Day, a special celebration took place at the Houses of Parliament. The event marked the 30th birthday of FareShare UK. Ged and Julie were among five volunteers chosen to represent FareShare’s network. Two representatives came from Brighton, and one travelled from Liverpool. The event was held at the Terrace Pavillion at the side of the River Thames and was hosted by Rt Hon Lord Newby OBE.
On being chosen for this honour, Ged and Julie said “It was really good to go and meet other FareShare volunteers and hear all the speeches.” They went on to say “volunteering like this is good for us, it gives us structure to our week now we are retired and it’s great to make a difference – we enjoy it.”
In addition to the reception held to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of FareShare UK, an early day motion was tabled in Parliament:
“That this House congratulates FareShare, the UK’s leading food redistribution charity, on its 30th anniversary; applauds FareShare for redistributing the equivalent of 135 million meals last year, equating to four meals per second, to over 8,000 frontline charities and community groups in almost every constituency across the UK; recognises the charity’s significant social return on investment, delivering £13 in savings for every £1 spent through benefits to individuals and the state; and urges the Government to work with the charitable food redistribution sector to implement effective measures that further reduce food waste, increase surplus food redistribution to those in need, and strengthen communities throughout the United Kingdom, as the need for such collaboration is more pressing than ever.”
Early Day Motion 277
This trip down to the Houses of Parliament by our very own ‘Perfect Pair’ was a fitting end to our volunteer celebrations for this year. It just goes to show that you never know where volunteering could take you!
If you would like to find out more about volunteering opportunities at FareShare Greater Manchester, please get in touch.
You can call: 0161 223 8200 and choose Option 6 or send us an email to volunteering@faresharegm.org.uk
Last month, we were delighted to host our annual Volunteer Awards recognition at FareShare Greater Manchester’s Maynard House Warehouse. These awards are part of FareShare UK’s Volunteer Awards Recognition programme, celebrating the incredible contributions of volunteers.
In 2023, our incredible team donated over 21,000 hours to help redistribute surplus food to people in need. Their dedication and commitment, makes our work possible.
The week featured special lunches, presentations, and awards recognising long service and outstanding contributions..
Each year, FareShare UK hosts the ‘Volunteer’s Celebration,’ an event which recognises and appreciates the contributions that volunteers make to the operation of FareShare across the UK. In August, our volunteers were asked to nominate their fellow volunteers for the FareShare UK Awards. It was a very competitive year. FareShare UK received 162 nominations with three winners from FareShare Greater Manchester.
Ged & Julie Donnelly won the FareShare ‘Perfect Pair’ Award. Ged is a volunteer delivery driver and Julie assists him. Tom Shephard and Chrissie Clarke received Highly Commended awards for their contribution to FareShare Greater Manchester’s operation.
In our own local celebrations there were many other awards handed out including specially printed Hi-Vis vests for our volunteers who celebrated either 4 years, 5 years or 10 years of long service. Also awarded were Babu Raj for the Rain, Hail or Shine Award, Andy Stobbie for the Ray of Sunshine Award, Sacha Girling for the Rising Star Volunteer Award, Dorothy for the Customer Care Award, John Barrett for the Best Buddy Award & Caroline Leedham for the All Rounder Volunteer Award.
We’re incredibly fortunate to have such a dedicated group of volunteers. Thank you for all that you do!
If you would like to find out more about volunteering with FareShare Greater Manchester, please get in touch!
Call 0161 223 8200 Option 6 or email volunteering@faresharegm.org.uk.
