COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Our commitment is to build strategic and sustainable partnerships in the local community with charities and community groups who embed food support alongside wraparound care such as advice, health support, counselling and befriending. This allows people to access quality nutritious food in a dignified setting and help break the cycle of poverty.

We work with 153 charities and community groups across the breadth of Sussex and Surrey who support people from a range of backgrounds, needing food support for a variety of reasons. The Cost of Living Crisis has put increased pressure on these services, with people struggling to afford their bills and in turn sacrificing food to save money.

Surrey

Mid Surrey Community Fridges provides food support to the people of Surrey through mobile fridges which target areas of deprivation, alongside advice and signposting to local support charities and community groups.

“EVERY WEEK WE DELIVER 500KG OF FARESHARE SUSSEX & SURREY FOOD TO OUR 20 HUBS ACROSS SURREY. IT VARIES FROM AREA TO AREA, SOME WILL TAKE FRESH FRUIT AND VEG, OTHER SITES ‘PICK AND PING’ THEY WANT MICROWAVE FOOD. WE WANT TO GIVE PEOPLE A SHOPPING EXPERIENCE, SO THEY COME TO HAVE THE FEELING LIKE THEY’RE GETTING THEIR OWN FOOD, I WAS VERY KEEN THERE WAS NO STIGMATISM TO FOOD.”

TONY WHITE, MANAGING DIRECTOR, MID SURREY COMMUNITY FRIDGES

East Sussex

Seaside Community Hub provides a community fridge and supportive space to the residents of Eastbourne. Each week more than 150 local people pay a small fee to ‘shop’ from the fridge alongside getting support with IT and banking.

“WE GET PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE, WE GET LOTS OF YOUNG FAMILIES, LOTS OF UKRAINIAN REFUGEES, LOTS OF OLDER PEOPLE WHO LOVE IT BECAUSE THEY CAN BUY JUST 2 POTATOES AND 2 CARROTS. IT’S LOVELY TO KNOW THAT EVERY MONDAY WE GET A NICE BIG BOX FULL OF STUFF FROM FARESHARE SUSSEX & SURREY. IF WE HAD NOTHING ELSE, THIS FOOD WOULD SUSTAIN US FOR 2 DAYS, EVERYTHING ELSE IS ON TOP OF THAT.”

SUE, TRUSTEE, SEASIDE COMMUNITY HUB

West Sussex

BRIGHTON & HOVE

The Hop 50+ provides a range of activities and social opportunities for people aged 50+ in Brighton & Hove, including providing hot meals and snacks.

“WE REALLY TRY TO MAKE THE FOOD AS CREATIVE AND INTERESTING AS POSSIBLE. IT’S SO IMPORTANT FOR THE ELDERLY. SOMETIMES IT’S THE ONLY TIME THEY’LL EAT A MAIN COURSE, AND IT’S A SOCIAL THING, BRINGING EVERYONE TOGETHER. ALSO, WE’VE GOT PEOPLE THAT USED TO STICK TO JACKET POTATOES EVERY DAY, AND NOW THEY’RE HAVING CURRIES, AND WITH CHILLIES.”

TAMMI, CHEF, THE HOP 50+

True Vine has been facilitating a Friday breakfast club and an occasional Sunday lunch for rough sleepers and people struggling with addiction in Bognor Regis for the past few years.

“WE USE FOOD TO SERVE A FREE BREAKFAST WHICH ATTRACTS MORE PEOPLE IN THE WINTER AS IT’S A WARM AND SAFE SPACE OFF THE STREETS. WE SAVE SOME LONG SHELF LIFE ITEMS FOR FOOD PARCELS AT CHRISTMAS. WE FREEZE THE MEAT THAT WE GET FOR A COMMUNITY BBQ IN AUGUST.”

KEMI, PROJECT MANAGER, TRUE VINE

20th Anniversary

2002

We celebrated our 20th Anniversary this year and have spent time reflecting on how far we have come. We started out with 1 man and a van picking up surplus food from local supermarkets and delivering it to 12 charities in Brighton, 20 years on we are still delivering to those original charities plus lots more across the 3

BRIGHTON & HOVE FARESHARE LAUNCHED AS A REGIONAL FRANCHISE OF CRISIS FARESHARE WITH 1 MAN AND 1 VAN TAKING 30 TONNES OF FOOD FROM SUPERMARKETS, DISTRIBUTING IT TO 12 CHARITIES WITH THE HELP OF 2 VOLUNTEERS

2011 counties. We survived the pandemic; the HGV driver crisis; difficulties with Brexit and climate change on our supply of surplus food. We are innovating and expanding to ensure we are providing the best possible service during the Cost of Living Crisis. Here is our abbreviated 20-year journey.

FARESHARE BRIGHTON & HOVE OFFICIALLY BECAME FARESHARE SUSSEX

2012

MOVED TO NEW PREMISESUNIT 3 AT THE CURRENT MOULSECOOMB DEPOT 2003

2009

WE STARTED MOVING C10 TONNES OF FOOD A MONTH 2005

“I STARTED WITH FARESHARE BRIGHTON IN 2003 HELPING TO ESTABLISH THE ORGANISATION IN THE EARLY DAYS. 20 YEARS ON AND I AM STILL SUPPORTING HUNGRY PEOPLE BY WORKING AS A TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENT MANAGER FOR FARESHARE UK. I AM REALLY PROUD TO SEE THE CHARITY STILL GOING STRONG, SUPPORTING SOME AMAZING LOCAL ORGANISATIONS AND MORE LOCAL PEOPLE THAN EVER” NATHAN AU, PROJECT MANAGER 2003 - 2012

2006

10 YEAR ANIVERSARY53 CHARITY PARTNERS, 102 VOLUNTEERS SHIFTING 305 TONNES OF FOOD A YEAR

307 TONNES OF FOOD TO 51 PROJECTS, OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH BRAKES STARTED

2008

SURPLUS FOOD BEING REDISTRIBUTED GREW TO OVER 20 TONNES A MONTH, WE GOT OUR FIRST FORKLIFT TRUCK WHICH ENABLED US TO RECEIVE LARGER DELIVERIES

2007

THE NUMBER OF CHARITY PARTNERS WE COULD DELIVER TO GREW TO 44

OUR 3RD MEMBER OF STAFF JOINED THE TEAM

FUNDING FROM ASDA & BIODIVERSITY LANDSCAPES FUNDAIDED OUR GROWTH. WE EMPLOYED OUR FIRST TRAINING COORDINATOR

OUR REACH EXPANDED INTO SURREY 2018

“WE’VE BEEN FUNDING THE WORK OF FARESHARE SUSSEX & SURREY SINCE THEY BEGAN TWENTY YEARS AGO. WE LOVE THE WAY THEY GET SO MUCH FOOD TO COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT PROVIDE MEALS FOR ISOLATED OLDER PEOPLE ACROSS BRIGHTON AND HOVE. WE KNOW HOW MUCH RECIPIENTS VALUE THE FOOD AND THE OPPORTUNITIES MEAL CLUBS BRING FOR REDUCING ISOLATION AND CONNECTING PEOPLE. THE FACT THAT THE FOOD WOULD OTHERWISE BE WASTED BY THE FOOD INDUSTRY IS A BONUS TO US.”

GERRY WICKS, THE DODGSON FOUNDATION

WE HIT A MILESTONE, 100 CHARITY PARTNERS RECEIVING 500 TONNES OF SURPLUS FOOD A YEAR

2022

JONATHAN WILKINS, OUR CURRENT CHAIR TOOK OVER. OUR FIRST CEO ROB ORM, STARTED 2019

20TH ANNIVERSARY! DAN SLATTER BECAME OUR NEW CEO AND WE OFFICIALLY BECAME FARESHARE SUSSEX & SURREY. OUR 2ND E VAN ARRIVED

WE INVESTED IN A 3RD VAN TO BE ABLE TO REACH THE WHOLE OF SUSSEX 2014

RAPID GROWTH MEANT WE HAVE TO EXPAND INTO A 3RD WAREHOUSE IN MOULSECOOMBE 2013

2020

WE CAN’T BELIEVE THIS PARTNERSHIP IS ALMOST 20 YEARS OLD, OVER THE YEARS OUR RELATIONSHIP HAS GROWN TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER. AS WELL AS DONATING OUR DELICIOUS PIES, WE HAVE COLLABORATED ON SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES AND THE HIGGIDY TEAM ENJOY VOLUNTEERING AT THE FARESHARE SUSSEX & SURREY WAREHOUSE, SEEING FIRST-HAND WHAT HAPPENS TO OUR DONATED STOCK. IT REALLY IS A BLOOMING PARTNERSHIP AND WE ARE EXCITED FOR WHAT WE CAN ACHIEVE TOGETHER IN THE YEARS AHEAD.

RACHEL KELLEY, HIGGIDY CEO

COVID 19 - WE ALMOST TRIPLED OUR OUTPUT SENDING C 30 TONNES OF FOOD A WEEK TO 161 CHARITIES HELPING OVER 20,000 PEOPLE EVERY WEEK. OUR FIRST E VAN AND E CARGO BIKE ARRIVED

2021

THE COST OF LIVING CRISIS HITS... CHARITIES WANTING TO RECEIVE FOOD FROM US INCREASED TO 181, FOOD LEVELS STARTED TO FALL DUE TO BREXIT, CLIMATE CHANGE AND LIMITED NUMBERS OF HGV DRIVERS

“FARESHARE SUSSEX & SURREY HAS PROVIDED AN AMAZING RANGE OF FOOD FOR US HERE AT FIRST BASE DAY CENTRE FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS. OUR FOOD GETS DELIVERED BY VOLUNTEERS TWICE PER WEEK, AND HUGELY APPRECIATE THE TIME DONATED THAT HELPS US PROVIDE FOOD TO SOME OF THE MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE IN BRIGHTON. THANK YOU, LONG MAY OUR PARTNERSHIP LAST!” GUY HAYES, OPERATIONAL MANAGER, BHT SUSSEX