FareShare has relocated its Kent Regional Centre to new premises which will enable the warehouse to provide an additional 480,000 meals to vulnerable people each year.
Thanks to funding from Asda, FareShare Kent has relocated to a new, larger warehouse in Ashford Business Park, which is twice the size of the previous premises, and is ready to serve more charities across the region.
FareShare Kent, run by partner charity Children and Families and the regional branch of FareShare UK, provides fresh surplus food to 140 frontline community groups and projects – including homeless hostels, school breakfast clubs, rehabilitation centres and elderly lunch clubs.
The new warehouse has afforded FareShare Kent the capacity to recruit 56 new local charities, with plans to recruit more over the next year. This is in turn helping to feed a further 5,992 vulnerable people each week, already increasing the number of beneficiaries by 50 percent.
Currently, more than 93,000 children in Kent are living in poverty*. The need for FareShare Kent’s service has never been higher and the warehouse relocation was therefore vital in order to serve the needs of those most vulnerable in the community.
The move has been made possible thanks to investment from Asda as part of its Fight Hunger Create Change programme – a partnership between Asda, FareShare and The Trussell Trust which aims to lift one million people out of food poverty across the UK. Over the course of three years, Asda is investing over £20 million to enable both charities to invest in infrastructure and offer more fresh food and crucial support and advice to people in need.
Ian Townsend-Blazier, Development Manager at FareShare Kent, said: “FareShare Kent currently saves 6 tonnes of food from waste each week, which in turn helps to provide around 14,000 meals topeople in need – an astonishing figure which shows our commitment to fighting hunger and food waste.
“Each week we help to feed thousands at risk of hunger in our communities, but we know demand for our support is rising – last year we had our biggest impact yet, with more than 314 tonnes of surplus food redistributed to charities to provide almost 700,000 meals. This was a staggering 26% increase on the year before – which is why Asda’s generous investment comes at such a crucial time.
“We’re grateful we are in a position to help more people, and if you would like to get involved either by donating, providing food or registering as a charity member, we encourage you to get in touch.”
Tim Scott, Senior Manager, Community and Campaigns at Asda, said: “By bringing FareShare and the Trussell Trust together and investing in their infrastructure and essential services, we can help thousands more vulnerable people in Kent and nationwide to access good quality fresh food.
“Ultimately, our aim is to change the face of poverty in the UK by providing much needed food to those in need and tackling the root causes of poverty, ensuring nobody goes hungry.”
