Members of Community Action Suffolk’s volunteering team spent the day (19 October 2017) with FareShare UK in Ipswich, working in the warehouse to sort food which would have otherwise gone to waste.
The team helped sort cereals, pasta, sauces and biscuits to be redistributed to the vulnerable and those in need.
FareShare UK takes fresh, in date and good to eat surplus from the food industry, which would otherwise go to waste. Last year they managed 13,552 tonnes of food.
As an employer, Community Action Suffolk grants each member of staff two days per year, to be used as volunteering days.
The Volunteering team had a great experience, saying:
“Really satisfying connecting with a charity that makes a real difference within the community.”
Janet
“I had a fantastic day volunteering with Fareshare and learning more about the amounts of food that gets wasted and how it can be distributed to those in need of such produce. I particularly enjoyed chatting over the chocolates with my colleagues and eating them! Also the opportunity to get to know my colleagues better. I left Fareshare feeling proud of what we had delivered in a short time, relaxed and worry free and that employee supported volunteering is good for friendships too.”
Jo B
“I am really delighted that we have had the opportunity as a team to work directly with an organisation that we support though all facets of our work and to see the impact they are making… for me it reinforces the valuable part Employer Supported Volunteering (ESV) can make to individuals, organisations and the wider community.
Paul
Gary Kemp, Warehouse Manager at FareShare UK, said:
“Thank you for your tireless enthusiasm today and for your support. You have made a difference to the Fareshare warehouse, most notably in the sweets department! Also thank Pete [Chief Executive, CAS] for joining us today and for sharing the experience and sharing our vision. I look forward to welcoming you here another time.”
If you are a company wanting to set up an “employer supported volunteering” programme, or you are an employee who has been given some time by your company to volunteer, we can help!
Just get in touch with the team [email protected]