Hampshire food rescue partnership donates more than 22 tonnes of food

A partnership between Hampshire County Council, VIVID and food rescue charity UKHarvest is tackling food waste and distributing surplus produce across Hampshire.

Funded by grants of £63,500 from Hampshire County Council’s share of the UK Government’s Household Support Fund, plus £8,000 from VIVID, the partnership tackles food waste and food insecurity.

UKHarvest, a leading food rescue charity, heads the initiative by collecting surplus produce from food growers and producers, distribution outlets and other charities and delivers it to local organisations at no extra cost. This innovative approach ensures that perfectly good food, which would otherwise go to waste, is given to those who need it.

The partnership has been a great success, achieving many of its year targets six months early. UKHarvest has rescued over 22.7 tonnes (or 22,700 kilograms) of food, and distributed it to 31 local organisations, including foodbanks, charities and community pantries. Over 5,642 households across Hampshire have received food because of the scheme.

One of the receiving organisations said: “We run a kitchen for a homeless charity, housing and feeding 38 companions. We also make soups for the homeless on the streets once a week. The food we get from UKHarvest really helps and goes a long way.”

The hope is that the year-long project will grow into a sustainable and ongoing venture.

Hampshire County Council’s Executive Lead Member for Children’s Services, Councillor Roz Chadd, celebrated the partnership, saying: “We’re pleased to support this innovative surplus food initiative that aims to help people in Hampshire experiencing hardship. By redistributing excess food to those in need, we're not only combating food waste and helping the environment, but also ensuring that vulnerable members of our community have access to nutritious meals. This programme is a testament to the power of collaboration and resourcefulness in helping tackle challenging issues such as food waste and the cost-of-living crisis.”

UKHarvest's CEO, Yvonne Thomson has been instrumental in orchestrating the collaboration: “Over the last six months we have seen an incredible level of engagement from food donors in Hampshire. This has been a great start to a collaboration that I hope will carry on, well into the future. We are reaching more people with our food redistribution than ever before, and are grateful for the opportunity to have such a positive impact on our community.”

Margaret Dodwell, Chief Operating Officer at VIVID, commented: “We’re pleased to have aided UKHarvest to extend their work into Hampshire. It’s great to see the impact the partnership has made in such a short amount of time.”

For more information about the initiative, visit the UKHarvest website.