FareShare specifically focuses on supporting charities that also work to improve people’s lives through wrap-around services.

[6] The FareShare network currently comprises more than twenty regional centres throughout the UK, although the majority of these are independently managed by local organisations.

In the first month of the lockdown, the amount of surplus food received and distributed by FareShare more than doubled following the overnight closure of the restaurant, pub, hotel and catering trades.

Supermarket partners such as the Co-op also provided additional food donations and funding to help FareShare meet the increased demand from frontline charity members.

[15] By the end of the year, FareShare had redistributed an additional 6,732 tonnes of food, equivalent to 16 million meals, compared to the same time frame in 2019.

[16] The simultaneous rise in supply and demand for surplus food, prompted by the onset of the pandemic, continued 12 months after the initial UK lockdown on 21 March 2020.

[18] In 2023, FareShare and the University of Hertfordshire released the ‘Waste Britain’ report on the social impact of food redistribution.

[19] In late 2023, on King Charles III’s 75th birthday, the Royal Family announced the launch of the Coronation Food Project.

[21] Keeping with its mission, FareShare’s initiatives are driven by a theory of change framework developed in partnership with NCVO Charities Evaluation Services.

[22] Through its network of distribution warehouses and various initiatives FareShare services over 8,000 charities, reaching an estimated 1 million people a year.

[23] The mission of this campaign caught the attention of England International footballer Marcus Rashford in March 2020, leading to him becoming a FareShare ambassador that same year.

In 2019 DEFRA funded a pilot program for FareShare and The Felix Project aiding the redistribution of surplus food from farms.

Between 2018 and 2019, the program helped FareShare to deliver 4,447 tonnes of surplus food, the equivalent of 10.5 million meals; however, funding was discontinued after 2019.

In 2024 Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that the government would commit £15 million to farm-gate level food surplus redistribution.

[27] During the first year of the pandemic, Tesco was instrumental in helping FareShare increase its food distribution to meet demand, donating the equivalent of 4.5 million meals in early 2020.

Most recently, in November 2022, Premier Foods launched a five-year plan with FareShare to achieve a series of targets, including donating 1 million meals and hosting 1,000 volunteering days per year.

[31] Regarding other charitable partnerships, FareShare frequently collaborates with other food aid charities such as The Trussell Trust as well as The Felix Project.