Thursday, 21 May 2020
An East Midlands distribution charity that ensures surplus food goes to those who need it has been given a helping hand by the University of Nottingham.
FareShare Midlands scrambled to set up a Nottingham office because of a sudden demand for services during the Coronavirus lockdown.
This required them to quickly locate office equipment, volunteers and funds.
The University was able to help when Gareth Gee, a tutor in the School of Education, responded to the call for volunteers. He began helping to unload and load food in the warehouse and drive a collection/drop off vehicle to locations in the region.
When he learnt that the charity needed furniture for the Lenton depot he approached the University’s Estates team. The University was able to offer desks, tables, chairs and filing cabinets that were no longer needed.
The warehouse is now handling more than 10 tonnes of food and meals a week.
Gareth said: “I am not medically qualified, so this was an opportunity to do something practical to help out. The Red Cross put me in touch with FareShare. These charities are experts, and they've really come to the fore to alleviate the problems caused by Covid-19. It's great to be able to help them in their work.”
Andy Parkinson, Head of Operations at FareShare Midlands said: “We were really grateful for the way people have responded to our calls for help.
We are facing great challenges in these unprecedented times. As the Coronavirus outbreak escalates, more and more people in our communities will face hunger, long periods of isolation and access to good, healthy food will be a struggle as many local charities may have to close.
“We have a strong relationship with the University and were delighted for the donation of office furniture and to have volunteers from the institution. Last year we had an MBA student from the Business School working with us on his final assignment, and he went on to work for us part time.”
FareShare Midlands receives fresh, in date and good to eat surplus food into their warehouses where it is sorted and stored by a team of staff and volunteers. It is then redistributed to 450 charities and community groups across the Midlands, including community centres, homeless shelters and children’s breakfast/school holiday clubs.
Donated office furniture
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 32 in Europe and 16th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the second most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2022 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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