Helping the Community Combat Food Insecurity

Our latest story is from Dylan Thomson, Trustee of The Murgitroyd Foundation, who shares his recent experience of our grant funding in action. Over to Dylan to tell us more…

Food insecurity is a major issue that affects a rapidly increasing number of people in the UK. Glasgow having the largest population of any city in Scotland is now, more than ever under the cruel strain of hunger.  Fortunately, FareShare and Move On are here to help. This partnership is devoted to combatting food insecurity across their vast reach.

My mother, Liz Thomson, and I, as trustees of the Murgitroyd Foundation visited Glasgow’s FareShare branch in December 2023 after they had received a grant from us to learn more about how this extensively important work is carried out.  The charity is run by a team of both driven staff and dedicated volunteers.  We spoke to the Director of Operations of Move On, Jim Burns, who explained to us that FareShare takes in surplus food that is deemed “not fit for sale” by the supermarkets. Oftentimes this is the entire contents of a large palette in which a small rip in its wrapping had opened. Move On redistributes it all across the community by delivering to countless homes.

Move On is a training organisation that works closely alongside Fare Share and they specialise in helping unemployed individuals obtain driver’s licenses and forklift certificates.  This charity understands the struggles that people face in finding work due to not having a license, and they aim to bridge that gap. They provide resources and training to help these individuals become safe and competent drivers and ultimately pass their driving tests with help from their in-house driving instructor.  The training not only provides the trainees job opportunities with Fare Share, but it also gives individuals a sense of independence and freedom they may not have otherwise had. This company is making lifelong significant impacts on the lives of many and thus makes it possible for them to make a positive impact on the world with the sensibilities of FareShare.

With 13 million in the UK (almost 1 in 5 of the population) struggling to get enough to eat, and 3 million tonnes of edible food (7 billion meals) frittered annually in the UK alone, these kinds of charities are some of the most important companies operating today.  The Murgitroyd Foundation looks forward to continuing their support of Move On and FareShare and thanks them for their noble endeavours!