Partnership Formed to Support Food Redistribution Charity
A charity dedicated to distributing unsold but still edible food from supermarkets to individuals in need has established a partnership with Hereford Cathedral.
Initially known as St Martin's Foodshare, the operation expanded beyond the capacity of the church where it began. Volunteers also encountered a significant increase in administrative paperwork.
Now operating under the name South Wye Foodshare, the charity has secured a new location at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs on Belmont Road and has collaborated with the cathedral for additional support.
"Our role is to quietly provide governance and operational support so that the incredible volunteers can continue to do what they do best and run the food share,"said Kirsty Price, the cathedral's commercial manager.
Volunteer Perspectives and Administrative Support
Cat Hornsey, a core volunteer at the charity, emphasized that all involved are volunteers.
"The biggest support that we needed was somebody who could come in, help us out with all those extra bits of paperwork, make sure that everything is OK legally.
There are lots of times when the paperwork gets a little bit too much for us all to do, so having the cathedral on board and helping out with all of that is absolutely amazing."
The charity assists approximately 600 people in the city each week by providing free food, advice, and companionship.
Community Impact Beyond Food Provision
Price noted that supporting the service is highly rewarding for the cathedral and emphasized that the initiative extends beyond food distribution.
"There are resources for signposting and referrals, it's such a community... for some of the service users, this might be the only time they communicate with people, or have a conversation."
Food Redistribution Process Explained
Tom Milton, a community consultant who assisted the charity during its transition, described the charity's operations.
"It was about redistributing food, so that every evening the food that is about to go out of date is taken and given out to people in the city who most need it.
The rest of the food is gathered up and at the moment twice a week, that food is given out to people.
There might be lots of vegetables, some cakes and some bread and some meat as well and all of that food gets given out to anyone who wants to come and collect it,"he said.
"The food is still good, but the supermarket can't afford to hang on to it."
Locations and Opening Times
South Wye Foodshare is open to everyone on Mondays at 11:30 BST at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church on Belmont Road.
It also operates on Fridays at noon at Belmont Community Centre and daily from 22:00 BST at Pomona Place in Hereford.
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