Charity to deliver 40,000 meals to vulnerable families

Around 8.4 million people in the UK are struggling to eat - sparking a huge charity campaign to deliver 40,000 meals to Midland homes caught up in the crisis.

The Green Match Fund 2022 will run from Friday April 22 to Friday April 29 and includes a charity initiative organised by FareShare Midlands aimed at tackling food poverty across the region.

The food distribution charity is aiming to raise £10,000 in matched funding to deliver meals to people in the Midlands struggling to cope with the rising cost of food and energy. Each £1 donated will provide eight meals.

By using surplus food in this way, FareShare Midlands will also stop 17 tonnes of food from being wasted.

FareShare Midlands aims to turn an environmental problem into a social solution. The charity works with the food industry to save good-to-eat surplus food from going to waste.

This nutritious food is then redistributed to local community organisations who support the poorest families currently being overwhelmed by hunger and poverty.

Statistics show that around 14.5 million people in the UK - or 22 per cent of the population - are living in poverty, of which 4.3 million are children.

The numbers continue to climb as the cost of living escalates, with people forced to choose between whether to pay bills, fill up the car or keep the fridge full.

But while many are going hungry, 33 per cent of all the food grown in the world is wasted, and in the UK, food production and waste generates 35 per cent of total CO2 emissions.

Each year, The Big Give charity and match funding platform runs The Green Match Fund, an annual match funding campaign which raises millions of pounds for good causes over the course of one week. During this week each donation to the participating environmental charities is doubled.

Simone Connolly, FareShare Midlands CEO said: “The challenges which arose during the Covid-19 pandemic were enormous. Having survived those, our Community Food Members now find themselves battling to support local people struggling with worsening financial situations.

“Anyone donating to our Green Match Fund campaign will provide vulnerable families with food that is desperately needed at the moment. At the same time, they will be supporting our environmental mission to prevent unnecessary food waste. ”

James Henman (pictured), a single dad from Chesterfield said: “Everything 's going up - food, taxes, heating - and I 'm really worried about what it 'll be like in winter. If I get a big bill I arrange to pay off a certain amount every month. But the council are also taking extra money out next month so I 'm having to pay their bills, while other bills are going up. ”

Anyone who wants to help can donate during The Green Match Fund Week. Doing so means that their donation will be doubled.

Donations can be made here.