FareShare South West rescues good food directly from the food industry, and shares it with more than 340 charities, schools and community hubs across the South West.

These charities include Harbour Housing in St Austell, Cornwall, where for residents, a home-cooked meal may be the first step on a long journey—one that can lead to so much more.

The charity supports people across the county with complex needs, including those experiencing or at risk of homelessness, and people escaping intimate partner abuse.

“The food provision through our FareShare South West membership really underpins everything that we're able to do that's classed as added value,” said Kate, education, wellbeing and communications lead at Harbour Housing.

“Everything that we source from FareShare South West, FareShare Go and supermarkets allows us to cook meals that meets people’s basic needs. We're giving them nutritious food that they can access every day and at a time that's convenient for them.

“People we work with have complex needs and vulnerabilities. So, rather than having a universal provision that they can't access in the communities or a set time that doesn't work, we make it work for people by batch cooking and providing meals, or providing snacks, and making that available across all of our sites.”

Food also provides opportunities for people to get involved in cooking for themselves and others, building self-confidence, life skills and friendships.

For some, it might be the first time they’ve made or even eaten a meal cooked from scratch with fresh ingredients.

Kim, who runs the kitchen and cooking sessions, said: “Getting involved in cooking is good for them because many are struggling to keep their head out of things that they don't want to be in, and they come down to the kitchen and concentrate on one thing.

“It works really well for them. And if you're not up to cooking it, you just won't eat.”

Scott, who has been a resident at Harbour Housing for seven months, said having meals and snacks you can access easily is important for many people there.

“Recently, I've been coming down to the kitchen more,” he said. “The first couple of months, I just hid away. Having the food here helps a lot. It helps a lot of people in here. The main meals, like the roasts, are the best. I know a lot of people here do appreciate it and it helps them a lot.”

Member charities such as Harbour Housing pay FareShare South West a small monthly fee for weekly food deliveries, saving on average more than £10,000 a year on their food costs.

It’s not only cheaper: this food is all high-quality and good to eat but would otherwise have been thrown away for a wide range of reasons, from seasonal gluts to changes in packaging.

By joining the dots between food waste and people on the front line, together these charities are turning an environmental problem into lasting change for local people.