Funding from Asda has enabled Newcastle upon Tyne’s biggest food charity to open new premises this week which will provide an additional 300,000 meals to vulnerable people each year.
FareShare North East’s new warehouse in Westerhope is equipped with one of the largest chillers in the FareShare network and will enable the charity, which last year provided over 738,000 meals worth more than £4m to the charity sector in savings, to top the million mark for meals.
The new premises will also allow FareShare North East to support 35 new local charities in the next year, which it says will help to feed a further 3,745 vulnerable people across the region each week, increasing the number of beneficiaries by 35%.
Run by partner charity Changing Lives, it is one of the biggest regional branches of FareShare UK and provides surplus food to 112 community groups and charities, including homeless hostels, school breakfast clubs, rehabilitation centres and elderly lunch clubs.
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The move is part of Asda’s 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 £20m to enable both charities to invest in infrastructure and offer more fresh food, support and advice to people in need.
“Each week we help to feed thousands at risk of hunger in our communities, but we know demand for our support is rising - which is why we welcome Asda’s generous investment,” said Jake Hanmore, general manager at FareShare North East.
“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.”
Chris Hall, senior director of central logistics 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 the north east and millions nationwide access good quality fresh food. Ultimately, our aim is to change the face of food poverty in this country and make sure nobody goes hungry, whilst also working to tackle the root causes of poverty in the UK”.
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