Independent family brewer and pub company Shepherd Neame has raised £30,000 for its Charity of the Year, FareShare.
FareShare is the UK’s biggest charity tackling the environmental problem of food waste for social good. It works with the food industry to get good to eat food, that might otherwise go to waste, to a network of over 8,000 charities and community groups across the UK.
Shepherd Neame launched its partnership with FareShare in July last year, and fundraising activities by team members at the brewery and across its pub estate have included taking part in the Peak District Ultra Challenge in Dorset, a Brewery Bake Off competition, photography competitions, raffles and quizzes.
As part of its fundraising activities, the company pledged to donate 50p for every Kids’ Meal Deal sold on its new Menu for Minis, which went live in August 2023. It also continues to partner with Pennies, the digital charity box. Customers drinking and dining at selected pubs are invited to make a 25 pence donation when they spend over £25 and pay on a card via Chip & Pin. Every penny given goes to charity: 90% to FareShare and 10% to Pennies.
In addition to raising money for the charity, Shepherd Neame offered team members the opportunity to take time away from their roles to volunteer with FareShare. In April, a group of 10 team members spent the day at The Felix Project, FareShare’s London delivery partner, in Poplar, East London. They undertook tasks including preparing and packing meals and delivering them to local charities.
Shepherd Neame’s Chief Executive Jonathan Neame marked the end of the partnership by visiting the team at FareShare’s warehouse in Ashford, Kent, on Wednesday (June 26) and presenting a cheque to Head of Fundraising Kirsty Ford and Warehouse Manager Emma White.
He said: “We are committed to doing the right thing for our communities, our people and our environment. When we were choosing our charity partner last summer, we wanted to work with an organisation which made a real difference to families and individuals in need, and FareShare does just that. Their ethos also fits with our ongoing efforts throughout the business to limit waste and recycle wherever possible, in line with our pledge to achieve zero waste to landfill by 2025.
“We have been pleased to see our team members and pub partners really get behind the charity during the past 12 months, organising events and offering their time to volunteer, and we are delighted with the amount raised for such a fantastic cause.”
Kirsty Ford, Head of Fundraising at FareShare said:
“We are so grateful to Shepherd Neame for their continued support for FareShare. These invaluable donations help us get good-to-eat food to the people who need it rather than going to waste. Every day, the food we redistribute to a network of over 8,000 charities in every region helps to strengthen communities. From homelessness shelters and afterschool clubs to refuges and older people’s lunch clubs, these groups are all working harder than ever to provide people with a hand up, not a handout.
“Shepherd Neame’s generous support for FareShare – both through donations and time volunteered – is instrumental in helping people affected by the cost of living crisis. This support means charities can unite more people through food to form connections and access essential support services. Thank you for helping FareShare make the food go further.”
