Project boost thanks to The Argus

And now the scheme has been given a £5,000 boost thanks to The Argus Appeal.

Brighton and Hove FareShare, run by City Gate Community Projects, distributes good quality, unsold supermarket food which is close to its sell-by date, to the needy.

Mike McNally, project manager, said FareShare had given 135 tonnes of food in the past year.

He said: "An average shopping bag weighs about three to four kilos so we have given 30,000 shopping bags worth."

Mr McNally, his colleague Nat Kidd, and a team of 30 volunteers, collect food from five donors, including Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Marks & Spencer, and Forfars.

It is then delivered to 34 projects in the city. Mr McNally said: "This is food which would otherwise be wasted.

"At best it would end up as compost, at worst it would have gone to landfill sites or been incinerated.

"This way it feeds those who need it.

"We reckon we chip into about 6,500 meals a week.

"Two of the biggest day centres in the city say our contributions account for 25 to 30 per cent of their food budget."

FareShare's help in easing budget pressures allows the centres to pay for other forms of care, such as dentistry and podiatry, for the people they help.

The Argus Appeal money, donated by readers, will go towards the project's core costs of £120,000 a year.

After presenting the cheque to FareShare yesterday, The Argus editor Michael Beard lent a hand with moving some of the boxes of food.

There are eight Fare-Share schemes in Britain, from Dundee in Scotland, to Brighton and Southampton in the South. Four more are due to start later this year.

All the volunteers are trained in basic food hygiene and the project is looking for drivers willing to work one shift per fortnight.

Anyone interested can call Mr McNally on 01273 671111. Elsewhere, the Argus Appeal received a musical donation from staff and pupils at Roedean School.

The school held a weekend concert and a collection raised £314.66 for The Argus Appeal.