Posted:
Thursday - October 13, 2022
11:30 am
SSP Foundation Funds 18-Tonne Lorry to Help FareShare Deliver More Food to Local Charities
Kindly funded by the SSP Foundation, a brand new 18 tonne MAN truck has been added to the FareShare fleet!
Based in the Midlands and capable of carrying up to 12 pallets, this lorry will not only be an invaluable resource in enabling more good quality surplus food to be redistributed to local charities, but will also be an essential part of FareShare’s wider project to build resilience against the rising fuel and haulage costs and continue to diversify food partnerships and sourcing.
FareShare is hoping to transport 780 tonnes of food every year with this new lorry - enough to produce 1.8 million meals. Although originally forecast to distribute an average of 25 pallets of food per week, it is already performing beyond expectations – across the first 9 days of operation, it collected an average of 10 pallets per day including potatoes, juice, yoghurts, fruit and meat. This expansion to our transport infrastructure will enable us to secure and distribute surplus much more quickly, preventing waste and providing nutritious, varied, good quality food to over 550 charities across the Midlands.
Simone Connolly, Chief Executive of FareShare Midlands, said:
“With the cost of living continuing to soar and more people across the region struggling to put food on the table, FareShare Midlands’ support to local community groups and charities is needed more than ever. That’s why we are so grateful for the generosity shown by the SSP Foundation in funding this lorry. This will be revolutionary for us as an organisation.”
Carl Hawkes, Head of Network Support at FareShare UK, said:
“If you were to stack every pallet of food that FareShare redistributed last year on top of each other, it would be 20 times the height of Everest. Managing that is a huge logistical task. By greatly reducing the time it takes us to get food from the supplier to our Community Food Members, this lorry will enable to us unlock far more surplus food which is currently unavailable to us, and maximise its social value in local communities. The SSP foundation have been a pleasure to work with, and we are so grateful for their incredible donation.”
The launch of the lorry was celebrated at FareShare’s Birmingham depot, where representatives from SSP were able to see first-hand the impact that their generous contribution is making.
Richard Lewis, CEO of SSP UK and Ireland, said:
"The SSP Foundation was set up in 2015 and the income it has received is largely from public donations from our units. In the last 2 years we set out to create a new, clear purpose – to put a real focus on trying to solve the problem of food poverty in the UK and Ireland. We are so pleased to be here today to launch a new lorry with FareShare to help them in the Midlands to have more capacity to get food from their suppliers."
FareShare extends their heartfelt thanks to the SSP Foundation for their support in our mission to fight hunger and tackle waste!
Would your business like to support FareShare Midlands to fight hunger and tackle waste?
Find out more about how you can partner with us here: Corporate Partnerships
Would your business like to support FareShare Midlands to fight hunger and tackle waste?
Find out more about how you can partner with us here: Corporate Partnerships
