The UK’s two largest food redistribution charities have merged in a bid to tackle soaring levels of food insecurity and supply chain waste.
FareShare and The Felix Project are combining their missions in a move that would form a “bigger and more ambitious organisation with greater national impact”, said both charities.
The new charity will adopt the Felix name, with a refreshed brand identity introduced gradually as part of a phased transition, including a period of dual branding.
Chief executive of The Felix Project Charlotte Hill OBE will lead the new merged charity, while Fareshare chief executive Kris Gibbon-Walsh will take on the role of deputy chief executive.
The charities said pooling resources would support “rescuing more food, cutting more waste and reaching more people”. It would also provide a stronger voice for campaigning and influencing national policy, they added.
The merger comes as demand for food aid escalates. Almost one in seven UK households lives with food insecurity, according to latest figures from The Food Foundation.
Meanwhile, an estimated 4.6 million tonnes of food is wasted annually, reported charity WRAP.
Fareshare and The Felix Project have worked together since 2020, distributing surplus food to more than 8,000 charities.
Last year, the network delivered the equivalent of 148 million meals.
Hill said: “Our vision is a nation where no good food is wasted and nobody goes hungry. Bringing together brilliant colleagues, volunteers and partners from both organisations gives us an unprecedented opportunity to scale up food provision for the UK’s most vulnerable communities.”
Gibbon-Walsh said: “This merger will enable us do so much more to tackle food waste at source, whilst we continue to support our brilliant independent network partners through increased food volumes, funding and operational support. We will also build on FareShare’s 30-year legacy of connecting good food with communities nationwide.”
Sarah Bradbury chief executive of the Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD) said: “We are delighted to see The Felix Project and FareShare unite as a single food redistribution charity. This collaboration will make it simpler and more efficient to donate surplus food across the UK.
”At IGD, reducing food waste is a core priority through our Alliance Food Sourcing programme partnership. This union marks a significant step forward in strengthening the food system and ensuring more good food reaches the people who need it most.”
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