Giving platform Neighbourly has today put out a call inviting charities, food projects, schools and community groups to join its free food surplus redistribution scheme. Neighbourly is the redistribution partner to retailers and manufacturers including Marks & Spencer, Starbucks, Heineken, Lidl and Danone.
Through the Neighbourly platform, the equivalent of more than 7 million meals has been distributed to over 1,500 charities and community projects in local communities across the UK and Ireland.
Neighbourly’s own research — from surveying its food surplus recipients — shows just how important receiving surplus is to them. On average, charities reported that they save an estimated average of £161 a month through these food donations, and 90 percent find the Neighbourly food surplus schemes beneficial or extremely beneficial.
Food surplus available for daily collection includes fruit and veg, bakery products and ambient food (food which can be safely stored at room temperature in a sealed container). It is also possible for charities to collect chilled items — dairy, meat, fish, chilled drinks and packaged ready meals, as long as they can meet certain criteria for safe collection, transportation and storage of chilled goods — from some stores.
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“While the Neighbourly platform has distributed the equivalent of more than 7 million meals over the past three years, it’s imperative that we keep building knowledge across the sector that this valuable resource is available,” said Neighbourly founder Nick Davies.
“We invite charities of all shapes and sizes to join, from small community groups right through to larger charity networks, who in particular are able to put chilled items to good use. So much of the food surplus supply chain is as yet untapped. The Neighbourly Food Surplus scheme is free and easy for charities and community food projects to get involved with, so we encourage them to sign up.”
To sign up to receive food surplus, charities and not-for-profits need to register with Neighbourly at www.neighbourly.com/food-charities or email [email protected]. Groups must have a food hygiene certificate in order to collect the surplus.
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Published Sep 19, 2018 8pm EDT / 5pm PDT / 1am BST / 2am CEST