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
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
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.
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.
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.
The Greater Manchester Combined Authority initiated the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter, recognising EMERGE 3Rs. FareShare Greater Manchester’s parent charity has been recognised within it. This commendable initiative aims to promote diverse, equal and inclusive working conditions across the region. It also actively contributes to establishing a new benchmark for workplace excellence, setting a standard that cannot be overstated.
The Charter is a voluntary membership and assessment scheme that approves members based on seven characteristics of good employment. These are:
The Greater Manchester Combined Authority created the charter to promote diverse, equal and inclusive working conditions across the region. Acceptance into the Good Employment Charter recognises our investment in building a workplace where employees can grow, develop and thrive.
“I am really proud that EMERGE has been accredited by the GM Good Employment Charter, it recognises the efforts we have invested in building a fair and inclusive workplace, fostering an environment that provides opportunities for everyone”
Lucy Danger
EMERGE CEO
For EMERGE and FareShare Greater Manchester, the journey is far from over. Our unwavering dedication to the Charter’s mission means continued work to maintain and improve our standing. We’re committed to actively contributing to the ongoing success of the Charter. Furthermore, our dedication extends to enhancing the well-being of Greater Manchester and its residents.
The Charter’s focus on diversity and inclusion extends beyond individual organisations. Furthermore, its far-reaching impact is poised to transform Greater Manchester into a region where every worker can thrive, irrespective of their background. The ripple effect of this initiative promises a brighter future for all.
To learn more about our services and how you can get involved with FareShare Greater Manchester, visit our website and explore our offerings, including volunteering opportunities, corporate partnerships and ways to donate surplus food.
Our parent charity, EMERGE 3Rs, won the 2023 Weston Charity Awards.
The award provides us with an opportunity to invest in our future. We’ll receive ten months of strategic planning support. This support comes from a dedicated team of four business experts. Pro bono charity Pilotlight is providing this assistance. Furthermore, we have received a core grant of £6,500 from the Garfield Weston Foundation.
EMERGE 3Rs stood out among 100 applicants. All these applicants deliver youth, welfare, community, or environment services in the North of England, the Midlands and Wales. They selected other local/regional charities such as Arts for Recovery in the Community (ARC), Drop Zone Youth Projects and Youth Leads UK.
“We are thrilled to have been recognised by the Weston Charity Awards. At EMERGE 3Rs we are working to reduce inequality across Greater Manchester through food redistribution and the provision of volunteering and training opportunities. We appreciate the chance to collaborate with the Pilotlight team. The program should enhance our operational efficiencies, aiding reaching more in need.”
“Our Trustees are delighted to be able to support a record number of charities this year through the Weston Charity Awards. The Awards underscore the Foundation’s passion for nurturing and empowering charities to thrive and support those who need it most.”
“When you fall, you want someone to catch you. Small charities provide a safety net for numerous vulnerable individuals. However, they often lack the necessary support to sustain their work and maximise their impact. We are proud to be able to assist 23 inspiring charities through the Weston Charity Awards over the coming year.”
