Chamber ‘Brumbassadors’ lend support at region’s biggest food redistribution hub
Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce members swapped boardrooms for aprons and warehouse gloves during a special Brumbassadors event at FareShare Midlands’ Sir Peter Rigby Coronation Food Hub.
The visit gave Chamber members a behind-the-scenes look at how the Midlands’ largest food redistribution charity rescues and redistributes surplus food to charities and community organisations across the region.
Guests spent two hours volunteering at the newly opened hub – preparing meals in the training kitchen and helping sort food in the warehouse – gaining first-hand experience of how surplus food is transformed into vital support for local communities.
Every week, FareShare Midlands redistributes good-to-eat surplus food to a network of 650 charities and community groups, helping provide meals for around 60,000 people across the Midlands, while also creating pathways into employment through training, skills development and volunteering opportunities.
The event was part of the Chamber’s Brumbassadors programme, launched last year as a platform for amplifying good news and opportunities across business, culture and sport in Birmingham.
Among the volunteers was Ros Wilson, business development manager at Edgbaston Stadium, who said: “This was my third time volunteering for Fareshare. I enjoy the sense of giving back and doing something useful that is going to benefit other people.”
Sarah Millington, account director at The Belfry Hotel & Resort, also took part in the initiative along with colleague George Romanenco.
Sarah said: “It’s been a brilliant opportunity to work with fellow Chamber members and give back to the community.
“It’s actually good fun and good exercise! At The Belfry, we get asked how some of our clients can give back to the local community and this is a great opportunity to get involved with something that is just 20 minutes away from the hotel.”
The Sir Peter Rigby Coronation Food Hub at Gravelly Park is FareShare Midlands’ largest facility to date.
It opened in December following a £2m donation from The Sir Peter Rigby Charitable Trust and has significantly expanded the charity’s ability to redistribute food, support frontline organisations and deliver employability programmes.
Simone Connolly, CEO of FareShare Midlands, said the Brumbassadors event was an opportunity to build deeper partnerships between the charity and the business community.
She added: “The event gave business leaders a powerful insight into how surplus food can be transformed into meals, training opportunities and community support across the Midlands.
“But it also highlights something bigger – the role businesses can play in helping us scale this impact.
“Through volunteering, food donations, skills sharing and corporate partnerships, companies across our region can help us reach even more people while tackling food waste together.”
FareShare Midlands is now inviting businesses across the Midlands to partner with the charity to help increase food redistribution, create volunteering opportunities for employees and support skills and employment pathways for local people.
Businesses interested in getting involved can contact Pauline Clarke, corporate partnerships manager, on 07843 134549 or [email protected]
Pictured: From left – Pauline Clarke (FareShare), Surjit Deuer (Mills & Reeve), Abbie Roberts (Mills & Reeve), Jules Mitchell (The Mental Wealth Revolution), Rahil Doshi (FareShare) and Kelly Evans (Optima UK)
