A WOKINGHAM-BASED charity has hit a significant milestone as its outreach continues to grow.
SHARE Wokingham, which was opened during the Covid-19 pandemic to help those struggling to access fresh food, has opened its 15th site in Bracknell.
With more than 2,000 people and 600 households receiving help each week, the latest pantry site joins SHARE’s locations in Reading, Wokingham, Ascot, Arborfield, Shinfield, Finchampstead, Sunningdale, Winnersh and Woodley.
More than 150 volunteers work each day to sort, collect, redistribute and organise the community sites.
Founder Claire Revie said: “In the UK we throw away around 9.5 million tons of food waste each year despite 8.4 million people being in poverty, and one in six meals are wasted in hospitality and catering.
“SHARE seeks to close this gap between food being wasted, and families going hungry. Absolutely none of what the project has achieved would have been possible without the effort of all the volunteers, trustees, Brakes, Morrisons, Waitrose, Lidl, ALDI, Gail’s, Cook!, M&S, Squires, Greggs, the local allotments, Pret A Manger, Wenzels and so many more.
“Little did we know that we would still be working as hard three years later but what a privilege it is.”
The project started off as a ‘Grub Hub’ at Norreys Church, where food shares still take place.
More than 40 tonnes of surplus food, which would otherwise go to waste, is redistributed every month by SHARE. Nothing is wasted, with any food deemed not fit for human consumption being donated as animal feed to local farms, such as Poppies Farm, Hurst.
All items provided across the Berkshire community are donated from local supermarkets and food suppliers such as Brakes, who single-handedly deliver more than seven tonnes of discarded food to SHARE each week.
One visitor to Share Arborfield said: “Food is so expensive in the supermarkets, and with so many other demands on our weekly budget, it has been such a relief to have access to SHARE – to have fresh fruit, vegetables and bakery treats we otherwise could not afford.”
