M&S Sale

For public benefit, the prevention or relief of food poverty of people living in Wythenshawe, Greater Manchester, by operating a community grocery, providing surplus food from supermarkets to individuals and families, to relieve their needs and prevent hunger. Membership of Fare Shop is open to individuals and families in receipt of any state benefit/s. Membership costs £2 per year and entitles members to shop once per week. There is free choice of goods (basic groceries and toiletries) on open shelves and items are priced individually and are low cost. Fare Shop offers healthy and nutritious food. Generous portions of fruit and vegetables are free of charge and highly sought after by customers. On average, members spend £5.25 per shop, purchasing some 28 types of goods whose retail price is approximately £40. Fare Shop purchases some of its goods from the charitable wholesalers FareShare and In Kind Direct. In addition to these, the connections of Fare Shop to supermarkets via Neighbourly are central for its successful operation. Supermarket surplus and customer donations are a key component of Fare Shop's stock. In total, Fare Shop supplies its customers with some 30 tonnes of goods each year. The impact of the surplus food donations is immense. The recent Feeding Britain's customer survey revealed that 92% of our members worry about not having enough food to feed themselves and their families, every week. Many of our members repeatedly express their gratitude for the services of Fare Shop. "If it wasn't for Fare Shop, I wouldn't be able to eat on three days every week." "It means everything to me to be able to have fruit and vegetables which I would be unable to get otherwise."

Copperdale provides a regular and reliable Food Route service for all people suffering hardship and poverty in the Manchester area. We make no charge for this service. We have two vehicles on the road providing this service 7 days a week. Local people are involved at every stage of the process from pickup to distribution helping to provide local autonomy, greater self worth and just as importantly making sure the food goes exactly to the places it is most needed. We work with 50 plus families and individuals on a weekly basis which amounts to about 300 people a week. We own a 10 bedroom hostel and a community activity centre based at the heart of Wythenshawe. Our premises are EHO Registered and have a 5 Food Standard Rating. Copperdale was responsible for introducing the very first Fare Share Scheme into Manchester in 1996 which we ran independently for 10 years before passing the project over to Emerge in 2006. We have received many community awards including the overall Pride of Britain Award, the Pride of Manchester Award and more recently the Life Time Achievement Award.

The project is an environmentally focused food surplus redistribution initiative operating across South Manchester. The project's primary purpose is to prevent food waste by redistributing good-quality surplus food that would otherwise go to landfill, delivering clear environmental benefits while also supporting good-quality surplus food that would otherwise go to landfill, delivering clear environmental benefits while also supporting the wider community during the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. The initiative operates on an open and inclusive basis, with no referral requirements, assessments or eligibility criteria. Food is shared openly to ensure surplus is used efficiently and responsibly, regardless of background or circumstances. This is non-discriminatory approach allows the project to remain focused on waste prevention while offering practical support to anyone seeking to reduce food waste and household food costs. The project is supported by volunteers from all walks of life, including professionals and warm-hearted local parents, who work together to collect, sort and redistribute surplus food. This diverse volunteer base reflects the community-led nature of the initiative and supports its ongoing operation. All food is redistributed free of charge. The project does not charge for its services and does not operate as a commercial or profit-making model.