FareShare expands food redistribution network with new Ipswich site

The big picture: FareShare East Anglia is part of the UK's largest food redistribution charity network. Last year, it distributed 1.6 million meals via over 140 organisations across Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire.

Why it matters: The larger facility will allow FareShare to increase its capacity for redistributing food that would otherwise go to waste, supporting local charities and community groups.

Key details:

• The ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on 12 September, attended by local supporters and partners.

• Deputy Mayor of Ipswich, Councillor Lynne Mortimer, officially opened the new site.

• The expansion was made possible with support from funders, including Comic Relief.

What they're saying:

• Mike Barrett, regional manager, FareShare East Anglia: "Opening a larger site, with greater capacity, is going to make a huge difference and we're enormously grateful to all our partners who have helped bring this project to fruition."

• Kris Gibbon-Walsh, COO of FareShare: "This new bigger warehouse will allow the teams to work safely, whilst really making a difference to our capacity for redistributing food to organisations across the region and beyond."

• Reverend Lawrence Carey of Triangle Church Ipswich: "The ability to have a regular delivery of food items from FareShare has helped us to offer support to our community through our Top Up Shops."

What's next: FareShare East Anglia is hosting an Open Day on 31 October for prospective partners, suppliers, and organisations interested in receiving food.

The bottom line: The new site will enable FareShare to expand its operations, providing more support to local communities facing food insecurity while reducing food waste.