THE FORCE BEHIND FARESHARE SUSSEX & SURREY

“JUST KNOWING I WOULD BE SPENDING REGULAR TIME WITH FRIENDLY AND VIBRANT PEOPLE, WHILST CONTRIBUTING SOMETHING POSITIVE, GAVE ME A HUGE BOOST.”

JON, VOLUNTEER DRIVER / WAREHOUSE ASSISTANT

Our volunteer team has been nothing short of amazing this year. It’s humbling to work alongside so many generous, dedicated and caring individuals, many of whom have been volunteering here for over eight years! Their commitment to our cause is truly inspiring, and we could not have achieved what we have without our volunteers past and present.

One of the things that makes our volunteer team so special is its sense of community. The friendly and welcoming atmosphere is often mentioned by visitors or new volunteers - a testament to the warm and compassionate nature of those who give up their time to be here each week.

1,014

Our community kitchen is at the heart of our organisation; it serves as a gathering point for breaktime chats and a place to enjoy a delicious meal together, created by our wonderful team of volunteer chefs. It is also playing host to our new volunteer forum - a space for discussion, collaboration and to support our volunteering team for the year ahead.

“AT A TIME OF QUITE SIGNIFICANT DIFFICULTY FOR SOME OF OUR VOLUNTEERS FOUND HUGE SUPPORT WITH THE COMMUNITY AT FARESHARE SUSSEX & SURREY. BEING A PART OF SOMETHING IMPORTANT, WHERE EVERYONE’S CONTRIBUTION IS VALUED AND ACKNOWLEDGED, MAKES IT A WARM AND POSITIVE PLACE TO BE.”

JON, VOLUNTEER DRIVER / WAREHOUSE ASSISTANT

What our volunteers say about volunteering at FareShare Sussex & Surrey:

69% SAID THEY FELT HAPPIER

67% SAID THEY FEEL MORE SATISFIED WITH THEIR LIFE

86% SAID THEY WERE DOING THINGS THAT ARE WORTHWHILE

85% SAID THEY FEEL THEY ARE VALUED AS A VOLUNTEER

When asked what their motivation for volunteering was:

77% SAID THEY WANTED TO GIVE BACK TO THEIR COMMUNITY

82% WANTED TO TACKLE FOOD WASTE

63%

THE COMPANY OF OTHERS

1,359

“YOU CAN GET TO A CERTAIN AGE WHERE YOU THINK YOU MAY BECOME INVISIBLE, THAT YOU ARE NEVER GOING TO LEARN SOMETHING NEW. FARESHARE SUSSEX & SURREY GIVES YOU THAT BACK, YOU KNOW YOU ARE RESPECTED, YOU’RE NEEDED. IT MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE A PURPOSE AND YOU ARE NOT DISAPPEARING ANYMORE AND YOU CAN LEARN NEW SKILLS.”

Caroline, Volunteer Driver