Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation and The Global FoodBanking Network (GFN) have donated £1 million to FareShare, as part of their global funding programme addressing food insecurity in Europe and North America.
This is an annual £1m grant as part of Enterprise’s Fill Your Tank programme which began in 2016. The funding will be crucial through 2023 in helping FareShare to access and accept more good food, ensuring it can be delivered to people struggling during the cost-of-living crisis.
The funding is a critical part of the partnership that has underpinned a great increase in valuable food being redistributed to those who need it. In 2022, Enterprise and GFN helped FareShare increase their capacity and rescued thousands of tonnes of fresh food through the Surplus with Purpose Fund. Their support played an integral part in FareShare closing the year having redistributed the equivalent of 127 million meals and having reached an estimated 923,532 people.
The renewed grant will now play a key role in ensuring more can be done to feed local communities. With the number of people facing hunger rising, and 1 in 5 people in the UK struggling to get enough to eat,1 the additional support comes at a pivotal time. 90% of the charities FareShare supplies are reporting increased demand for their services due to the cost-of-living crisis.
Over the upcoming year, the generous support will enable FareShare to realise its ambitions to scale up surplus food redistribution. This will be achieved through building on relationships with the food industry and expanding on operations, so resources are in place for more food to be delivered across the charity. The growth will be key in the charity’s mission to fight hunger and tackle food waste in the UK.
Lindsay Boswell, FareShare CEO, said: “three million tonnes of edible food is wasted in the UK every year2 and that’s while 14 million people in the UK now face hunger3. In this climate, FareShare’s mission is vital. The incredible support from Enterprise Rent-A-Car and The Global FoodBanking Network is pivotal as we drive forward our core strategy to do more and go further, ensuring surplus food goes to charitable causes and is not meaninglessly wasted.”
Ryan Johnson, Corporate Vice President Enterprise UK and Ireland said: “Our continuing support for FareShare reflects an ongoing commitment to help tackle food insecurity. With more than 450 branches across the country we are very much part of local communities, and we are committed to supporting families within those communities. It is great to see how our donation is enabling people to access and enjoy healthy fresh meals.”
