FareShare - Carlisle

What is FareShare?

FareShare is a charity that rescues fresh in date food which is deemed to be surplus and would otherwise go to landfill and pass this onto not-for-profit organisations to provide food at a nominal fee. During 2016, nationally they redistributed enough food to provide 22 million meals.

The organisations FareShare supply food to are places that provide life changing support; from breakfast clubs for disadvantaged children, to homeless hostels, community cafes and domestic violence refuges.

FareShare are a member of both the  European Federation of Food Banks and The Global Food Banking Network, and are part of a global movement working to alleviate hunger by capturing surplus food and delivering it to the people who need it. They have over 20 years’ experience of working with the food industry. By making sure good food is not wasted, they also turn an environmental problem into a social solution.

FareShare in Carlisle

At the start of 2018 a number of meetings were held to share the FareShare story with key partners in the district. On Friday 20 April an information event was held in partnership with FareShare, Cumbria County Council, Carlisle Partnership and Carlisle City Council, at Harraby Campus for local interested potential community food members to come along to find out about how they could be part of FareShare in Carlisle.

Below you too can find out more about FareShare and how to get involved.

The Food:

The food you receive as an organisation has become surplus – which means that it is not going to be sold before it has hit the supermarket shelf. It could be from a grower, a manufacturer or a retailer’s distribution centre. The food FareShare redistribute is in date and good to eat but has become surplus for simple reasons such as over-production, labelling errors or short shelf-life.

FareShare work with over 500 food companies, from suppliers and manufacturers to retailers, to redistribute their surplus for social good.

Community Food Membership:
FareShare is delivered by organisations who are known as ‘Community Food Members’. These are not-for-profit community groups (including but not restricted to):

• Voluntary Groups
• Third sector organisations
• Village halls
• Day centres
• Hostels
• Children’s centres
• Social enterprises
• Community centres
• After school clubs
• Breakfast clubs
• Youth clubs
• Parish councils / Local Authorities
• Local councils
• Tenant and residents associations
• Care homes
• Nurseries
• Parent Toddler groups

Why choose Community Food Membership?

• Choose how much food you receive. On average FareShare members receive five trolleys worth of food per week, but you can tell FareShare how much your organisation needs.
• Choose the type of food. You can get everything from meat, dairy and fish to veg, pasta and tins. Your local Regional Centre works with you to create your food profile. The exact food you receive depends on what becomes surplus that week. Sometimes you might get unexpected treats as well as good old staples.
• Get a regular supply of food. Collect your order from your local Centre; see “Local Centres” below for more information.
• FareShare support you on food safety. Receive advice and guidance regarding food safety best practice from trained staff.
• FareShare also provide volunteer opportunities. Your community can volunteer with FareShare to develop skills and training.

Becoming a FareShare Member:

FareShare’s full membership service gives you a weekly supply of fresh food and store cupboard staples for your charity or community group. Perhaps you need fresh meat and veg for your lunch club or tins and packets for your food bank. Whatever your organisation’s needs, you decide the type of food and how much you receive.

If you don’t need a weekly supply, don’t worry, membership if flexible and will work with your needs.

Regional Centres -

When you become a member, you are linked with one of the 29 Regional Centres. They manage your membership and provide the food to you. Currently, Carlisle’s Regional Centre is operated by Recycling Lives, a metal and waste recycling business which sustains a social welfare charity. The centre started operating in October 2015, initially serving the Preston area before expanding to provide food to charities and groups across Lancashire and Cumbria.

Local Centres - 

With the expansion into the Carlisle area, a new base for local pick-up will be located in Harraby on Wednesdays. Click here to request more information. 

Can my organisation receive food?

In order to receive food, your organisation must demonstrate that you are fit to provide a safe food service to your users. Don’t worry, FareShare can help you reach these standards if you are not quite there yet.
You must:

• Register with Environmental Health Officer.
• Be equipped to safely receive, store, prepare and serve food.
• Staff supervising food handling and preparation must hold the IEHO Basic Food Hygiene Course Certificate (or equivalent).
• Staff and volunteers handling food must be trained to do so safely.
• Adhere to food safety legislation and current good practice.

Membership Fee:

FareShare is a non-profit charity and to remain sustainable the Regional Centres charge members a nominal fee to cover operational costs. This includes warehouse space, chillers, delivery vehicles and fuel. It’s a very small percentage of the value of the food supplied to you. To put it in context, FareShare members estimate that if they had to replace the food they receive from FareShare, it would cost them an additional £7,900 per year on average.

To find out more about membership please click here to email

Quotes from organisations already signed up:

“I am writing to say thank you for the wonderful gift of FareShare Food and the wonderful people involved.  I know that it is a lot of hard work for all involved, but I am confident it is life changing for some of our most vulnerable people and I cannot thank you enough.

…[We] bagged up all the food and 36 families got a great bag of food and some were able to stay for a cup of tea and a chat.”

Maria, Carlisle

 “FareShare means we get a greater variety of food. We take everything from tins to fresh meat as our families need everything. I don’t know what people would eat if we weren’t able to give them the food from FareShare.”
Christine, Ivy Street Community Centre, Blackburn

“The benefits go far beyond the food…it creates social and learning opportunities.”
Jill at Astley Lodge supporting people at risk of homelessness