FareShare is the UK's largest food redistribution charity. It sources and redistributes quality, good-to-eat surplus food, which would otherwise have gone to waste. Its primary objective is to help reduce food insecurity and tackle food waste by turning an environmental problem into a social solution. The organisations it supplies provide vital support to those who are vulnerable and facing economic hardship.
Since September 2023 Middlesbrough Erimus Rotary has been supporting FareShare North East’s Middlesbrough Depot by providing drivers on a voluntary basis to assist with food deliveries to outlets across the Teesside area.
Seven Erimus members, along with three volunteers from Cleveland Rotary, have provided drivers for three mornings each week, covering some 30% of deliveries. In addition, support has been given to warehouse activities.
Surplus food stocks at the Middlesbrough Depot
Food orders assembled and being loaded onto the delivery van
Each shift’s delivery involves up to eight drops, each of around 80kg food. Every driver is accompanied by a volunteer assistant to help with delivering to Community Cafes, Eco Shops, Food Banks and various other voluntary organisations. In addition, on some shifts drivers deliver pallets of food to charity outlets or collect surplus food from suppliers. The range of food delivered varies depending on what surpluses and other donations are received by FareShare but frequently these include a good proportion of fresh fruit and vegetables as well as short date refrigerated food.
The Middlesbrough Erimus and Cleveland members were proud to receive the national FareShare Teamwork Award in 2024 and the partnership with FareShare has continued, with staff from the Middlesbrough Depot taking part in Erimus’s Tees Heritage Walk to get sponsorship and raise funds for FareShare.
To find out more about how Rotary is supporting Fareshare and other local charities check out our website ( https://www.middlesbrougherimusrotary.org ). For more information about FareShare please email Andy Popple ( andypopple@fareshare-northeast.org.uk ).