November 2022

A celebrity supporter is helping our food redistribution work by appearing in a series of promotional films.

Comedian Jon Richardson visited our Food Redistribution Centre and two member groups earlier this year to learn more about our impact. The comic and writer – best known for 8 Out of 10 Cats and sitcom Meet The Richardsons – is a long-standing supporter of FareShare, giving his time and support for free.

Working with producers from Visualised It, we have now created a series of short films introducing our food redistribution work, sharing recipe ideas, and encouraging people to join us as volunteers.

Films have also been produced addressing politicians and food retailers, explaining how they can better support FareShare’s work nationally.

The project was delivered alongside our partners at FareShare Yorkshire, where short recipe tutorials were filmed in its Full Crumb Kitchen. Mr Richardson also visited two local charities as part of filming – The Intact Centre in Preston and Motiv8 Lancashire. These groups use food from FareShare as part of community support services and activities for adults with learning disabilities, respectively.

The films are now being shared in a bid to attract new volunteers, raise our profile, and influence decision makers.

Mr Richardson said of the films: “FareShare is such an incredible organisation and offering them support is a shortcut to helping fight a huge number of problems.

“If you care about fighting climate change by stopping food going to landfill, if you care about feeding hungry children, if you want to help people with disabilities live independently, if you care about bringing together isolated individuals to laugh around a dinner table, then you can do all these things by helping FareShare. 

“I loved making these films and meeting the people who make FareShare what it is and who have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic and since. I hope these videos will shine a light on the incredible work they do and the work of the charities they support.

“I hope they can be seen by individuals looking to volunteer or donate, businesses who can improve their practices, and politicians who can shape our future to better resolve these issues before they occur.”

Alasdair Jackson, Chief Executive of Recycling Lives Charity, added: “We’ve a great story to tell about tackling hunger and reducing waste so we’re really pleased Jon is supporting us to do that. We hope these films will be informative and inspiring.

“The visits from Jon were also a real boost for our team and member groups. They’ve had an unbelievable couple of years, facing sky high demand from people through Covid and now the cost-of-living crisis. To have a visit and genuine enthusiasm from a high-profile supporter was an extra reward for all their efforts. We’re all very grateful to Jon.”

To watch the films and share links with your networks, simply follow our links below:

Watch our volunteer appeal film here.

Watch our film for MPs and policymakers here.

Watch our food industry film here.