What are some of the highlights of being a community food member?

“The ability to give people food, the most basic need.”

Clifton Learning Partnership have been a community food member with FareShare Yorkshire for a number of years. They are a local charity, based in Rotherham, who provide an array of services to individuals including employability support, drop-in sessions, a community café, new skills and youth clubs.

Their FareShare Yorkshire deliveries have a variation of different items such as fruit, vegetables, cheese, snacks, drinks and dairy alternatives.

Sophie Wright, from Clifton Learning Partnership, said;

“When we receive the food, we organise it onto our shelves and then each week we create food parcels out of it. The beneficiaries come from the local community and many are families who access our other support services including benefit, housing and health support. If my colleagues meet someone who is struggling financially, we offer our support.

“Before the pandemic hit, we were running youth sessions for young people once or twice per week. We even did cooking sessions with them, which was made possible with our FareShare Yorkshire membership. Hopefully we will be able to start sessions like this again when the Covid-19 restrictions end.”

FareShare Yorkshire receive an array of different food types, from chilled to frozen, to ambient and fresh. Clifton Learning Partnership have benefitted the most from the fresh fruit and vegetables.

Sophie added;

“When we were offered fresh fruit and vegetables, it was a big turning point for our beneficiaries. It is always welcomed by the parents as they can then provide children with fresh food daily, plus cooking from fresh is a large part of our community’s culture. Doing this on limited income can be difficult, so being able to provide this within our charity is great. The thought of the nutritional value this has on the children is wonderful.”

We asked Sophie if she had any highlights since being a community food member.

“The ability to give food to people, the most basic need. If we know we can support parents with food so that they can concentrate on other serious issues, we know we have helped in that situation.

“We often get photographs from beneficiaries, showing us the meals that they have created from their food parcels. It’s great to see, as we often plan food parcels around what would suit best put together as a meal.”