A NEW FareShare scheme has begun in Bordon, distributing its first batch of food.

The charity FareShare rescues surplus produce, which would otherwise end up in the bin, and redistributes it to charities and community groups.

And now Bordon-based charity Furniture Helpline, on Hampshire Road, has become a FareShare partner for East Hampshire.

Furniture Helpline office manager Diane Page said there was already plenty of interest in the project, which launched officially last Wednesday.

“The delivery went to two lunch clubs (the Age Concern lunch club in Petersfield and the Grayshott Day Centre lunch club) and the Headley Down Food Bank,” she explained.

“We are very pleased that the FareShare scheme is beginning to take off and we are working towards signing up new members.

“The scheme is open to lunch clubs, school breakfast clubs, youth centres or any organisation that provides food to their attendees.”

Every year millions of tonnes of food is wasted in the UK. FareShare seeks to bridge the gaps in the supply chain to keep food that is good enough to eat out of landfill, all the while helping people who need it most.

FareShare UK has been operating since 1994 and has close relationships with leading supermarkets and the food-and-drink industry which donate in-date surplus produce.

This includes food that is close to its end of life, over-supplied orders, items that have not passed quality control but are still perfectly safe, misprints on packaging.

FareShare’s motto is “fighting hunger, tackling food waste”.

For more details about the East Hampshire scheme, call Diane Page on 01420 489000.