Urgent call for manufacturers to donate surplus food

FareShare Glasgow and the West of Scotland urgently appealing for new suppliers to donate their surplus food to feed people going hungry

FareShare Glasgow and the West of Scotland redistributes surplus food that would otherwise go to waste to frontline charities and community groups, including homeless hostels, children’s breakfast clubs, refuges and lunch clubs for older people.

Record demand

The appeal followed the charity extending its opening hours in an attempt to meet record demand for emergency food. It warned that it needed an extra 20 tonnes of food each week to meet the additional deliveries.

Every organisation that the charity currently supplies is asking for more food and more than 40 new organisations are asking for support.

Jim Burns, director of operations at FareShare Glasgow, said demand has now surpassed current supply and the new suppliers are needed for it to take as many new organisations off its waiting list as possible.

Cutting the waiting list

“Between 2022/23, FareShare Glasgow and the West of Scotland rescued almost 1,500 tonnes of food, the equivalent of over 3.5 million meal portions, but that was only enough to supply those already signed up – to cut the waiting list and deliver to more organisations we need more food coming in throughout the week,” ​Burns explained.

“It’s vital all those in the food industry know we are here, can take their surplus food, and redistribute it to those in desperate need.”​

Meanwhile, join our editor as she steps inside The Felix Project Enfield warehouse and journeys with the food as it makes its way to the Bruce Grove Youth Space in London.

This mini documentary​​ shows the ins and outs of the London-based redistribution charity, The Felix Project, revealing how food is sourced, sorted and delivered to communities.