Frequently Asked Questions

The food we redistribute comes from supermarkets, manufacturers, farms, and food distributors. It is surplus food that is safe and good to eat but cannot be sold due to reasons such as overproduction, short shelf life, seasonal changes or packaging updates. We rescue this food before it becomes waste.

Typically, FareShare Midlands receives fresh fruit and vegetables, chilled and frozen items, bakery products and some ambient cupboard staples. We aim to provide nutritious food wherever possible so charities can offer balanced meals and food support to the people they serve.

Food is distributed to registered charities and not-for-profit community organisations. Individuals cannot collect food directly from FareShare Midlands, but can access it through our network of Midlands-wide members.

Charities and community groups can apply to receive food from FareShare Midlands by becoming a Community Food Member. Organisations simply complete the online registration of interest form on the FareShare Midlands website or contact the team directly, and a member of staff will guide them through the next steps.

As part of the application, organisations will discuss their food needs and must show they can store, prepare, and serve food safely. If they are not yet meeting all requirements, FareShare Midlands can provide advice and support to help them get ready.

Once approved, members can begin receiving regular supplies of surplus food to support the people and communities they serve.

Food safety is central to our operations. All food is checked on arrival, stored appropriately in temperature-controlled environments and handled by trained staff and volunteers. Our warehouses follow strict food safety procedures to ensure that food is safe when it reaches charities and the people they support.

We also work closely with our members to ensure the food is handled and stored correctly once it arrives at their site.

If your non-profit organisation uses food to support vulnerable people, you can become a Community Food Member. Once approved, your organisation gets access to a regular supply of surplus fresh, chilled, frozen, and ambient foods which you convert into meals, food parcels, or affordable shopping.

Membership is open to non-profit organisations, charities, community groups, and social enterprises that provide or distribute food to vulnerable individuals. One condition: members cannot “sell” food on an individually priced (retail) basis—it must be used to support people in need.

We supply a variety of good-quality surplus food, including fresh produce, chilled, frozen and ambient goods, allowing members to offer balanced, nutritious meals.

On average, charities estimate they save around £9,100 per year on food costs by receiving surplus food through us.

The scheduling and frequency depend on your location, your organisation’s needs, and logistical constraints. (You’ll coordinate with our team after your membership is approved.)

Generally, no. We don’t provide food directly to individuals. Our model is to supply charities, community groups, and organisations that then pass it on to people in need.

All food we receive is good quality and in date. We follow strict handling, sorting, storage, and distribution procedures to ensure safety, hygiene, and that the food is usable by our members.

Volunteers can support FareShare Midlands through warehouse roles, driving and delivery support, administration, corporate volunteer days and in our Birmingham kitchen. Volunteers are essential to keeping food moving from suppliers to charities.

No previous experience is required for our volunteer roles. Full training and ongoing support is provided, and volunteers from all backgrounds are welcome.

Yes. Corporate and group volunteering opportunities are available at our depots. These sessions allow teams to make a tangible impact while supporting team building and staff engagement.

Volunteering opportunities vary by role and location. Some volunteers support us regularly, while others help on a flexible or one-off basis depending on availability.

Volunteers are vital to what we do. Roles include driving vans, sorting food in warehouses, administrative tasks, and more. You can sign up via our website or contact the volunteering team.

Yes! Beyond food redistribution, we run SkillsShare / employability programmes to help people gain skills, confidence, and work experience.

For some programmes (especially employability ones), we cover travel costs so participants aren’t out of pocket.

Individuals can support FareShare Midlands by making a one-off or regular donation, volunteering in one of our warehouses, fundraising, taking part in events or leaving a gift in their Will. Every contribution helps us rescue more food, support more charities and reach more people facing food insecurity.

Supporters can fundraise in many ways, including sponsored runs, workplace challenges, community events and personal fundraising activities. We provide guidance and resources to help supporters plan successful fundraisers that make a real difference.

Yes. FareShare Midlands takes part in a range of events and challenges throughout the year, including running events and community fundraising activities. These events raise vital funds while giving supporters a chance to actively engage with our mission.

Cash4Coins is a fundraising initiative that turns leftover foreign currency and old UK coins into vital funds for FareShare Midlands. Instead of unused coins sitting in drawers, they can be donated to help rescue surplus food and support people in need.

Yes. Leaving a gift in your Will is a powerful way to support our work long into the future. Legacy gifts help ensure FareShare Midlands can continue tackling food waste and food insecurity for generations to come.

By rescuing surplus food, we help prevent good food from going to waste. This reduces greenhouse gas emissions associated with food waste and supports a more sustainable and efficient food system. This also ensures the water and CO2 used to produce the food, package it and get it into stores does not go to waste.

You can donate via our website’s donation page. Monetary donations help us with transport logistics, storage, staffing, and enabling more meals to reach those in need.

Donations help us pay for van runs, warehouse operations, staff, fuel, and overheads required to collect, store, sort, and redistribute food. They expand our capacity and sustainability.

Yes — we welcome fundraising activities from individuals, groups, schools, workplaces. We can provide guidance, resources, and support. (Contact our fundraising team for details.)

There are lots of ways for businesses to support FareShare Midlands. For example, they can engage staff through team fundraising challenges or events, join us in the warehouse for corporate volunteering days, donate food (whether surplus within your organisation, or as a food collection), utilise our corporate hospitality suite in Birmingham, engage with our Employability programmes or offer sponsorship of our vehicles. Working with FareShare Midlands allows businesses to reduce food waste, support communities, and deliver meaningful social and environmental impact.

The Coronation Food Project, inspired by His Majesty King Charles III, was created to reduce food waste and hunger by working together with the food industry and partners redistributing food.

Coronation Food Hubs are regional centres created as part of the Coronation Food Project. As a Coronation Food Hub, FareShare Midlands can rescue and redistribute more surplus food, improve storage and logistics, and support a greater number of charities across the Midlands.

Yes — we partner with food producers, manufacturers, retailers, wholesalers, and other food businesses to collect and redistribute in-date surplus food. This helps reduce waste and supports local communities.

We accept good quality, in-date surplus food (fresh, chilled, frozen, ambient) that would otherwise go to waste, provided it is safe and within its use-by or best-before dates.

Donated food is collected (or delivered) to one of our warehouses, sorted and stored by staff and volunteers, then redistributed to our member charities.

SkillShare is FareShare Midlands’ suite of personal development and employability programmes. Designed to support people facing barriers to work, our programmes combine practical experience, training and personal development to help participants build confidence and move closer to employment.

Our SkillsShare programmes support individuals who may be unemployed, lack confidence, or face challenges entering or returning to the workforce. Support is tailored to individual circumstances and goals.

Participants may receive hands-on warehouse experience, employability workshops, confidence-building and well-being support, guidance with CVs and interviews and job search support. The focus is on developing skills that support long-term employment outcomes.

Employers can partner with FareShare Midlands to access trained, job-ready candidates, offer placements, fund programmes, or provide mentoring. This helps create positive outcomes for both employers and programme participants.

You can contact us via phone, email or by using the contact form on our website. Enquiries are directed to the appropriate team to ensure you receive a timely and relevant response.

FareShare Midlands operates depots in Birmingham, Leicester and Nottingham. These locations allow us to support charities and community organisations across a wide area of the Midlands.

Businesses with surplus food should contact our Food Offers team. They can advise on what food can be donated and explain how the donation and collection process works.

The Contact Us page lists details for volunteering, fundraising, corporate partnerships and general enquiries. Our team will guide you to the right support and next steps.

Email: enquiries@faresharemidlands.org.uk

Phone: 0116 286 7735

For specific teams (fundraising, volunteering, logistics, etc.), see contact page.

We endeavour to respond within two working days.

We currently have sites in Birmingham (Unit 7 Metro Triangle, Nechells, B7 5QT), South Wigston (Unit 10, Wilson Road, Leicestershire, LE18 4TP), and Nottingham (1 Harriman’s Lane, Lenton, NG7 2SD) among others.

FareShare Midlands is the largest food redistribution charity in the Midlands. We work to tackle food waste and food insecurity by rescuing good-quality surplus food from across the food industry, and redistributing it to charities and community organisations. Our work ensures that surplus food reaches people who need it most, rather than going to waste. We also invest in people. Through volunteering, training and our SkillsShare employability programmes, we help people gain the skills and confidence to secure work and brighter futures.

We exist because food waste and food poverty exist side by side. 10 million meals worth of food is wasted in the UK, every year, while many people struggle to access regular, nutritious meals. FareShare Midlands helps close this gap by redistributing surplus food and supporting the charities that work directly with people facing hardship.

We support hundreds of not-for-profit organisations across the Midlands, including food pantries, community centres, shelters, schools, holiday clubs and community cafés. These organisations use the food we provide to offer meals, food parcels, affordable food schemes, and wider support services to people in their communities.

We also support people looking to get into work through SkillsShare: our suite of personal development and employability programmes.

Each week, food redistributed by FareShare Midlands helps feed tens of thousands of people across the region. Our support enables charities to continue operating, reduce their food costs, and focus their resources on providing care, advice, and long-term support. Without this food, many organisations would struggle to meet growing demand.

Through SkillsShare, we have supported more than 1,500 people on their path to employment.

While FareShare Midlands is an independent charity, we are part of the wider FareShare & Felix network. This allows us to access surplus food on a national scale while also responding to local needs across Birmingham, Leicester, Nottingham and the wider Midlands region.

FareShare Midlands is the region’s largest food redistribution charity. We rescue good-quality surplus food (still in date) and redistribute it to charities and community groups across the Midlands, helping feed vulnerable people and reduce food waste.

Our mission is to fight hunger, tackle food waste, and create opportunities. We aim to maximise the social value of surplus food, so that nutritious food doesn’t go to waste but reaches people in need.

Last year, we redistributed over 5,000 tonnes of food—equivalent to around 11 million meals—and supported over 60,000 people per week across the Midlands.

We also support around 650 charities and community groups.