New funding for the Coronation Food Project in Merseyside and North Wales

The Steve Morgan Foundation, one of the UK’s largest grant-giving charities, has pledged £890,000 to the Coronation Food Project to help bridge the gap between food waste and food poverty across Merseyside and North Wales.

The funding will go directly to the new Coronation Food Hub in Liverpool operated by FareShare, the UK’s biggest food redistribution charity, and will fund fifty percent of the running costs of the Hub for three years. The money, along with donations from other supporters, will be used to double the existing warehouse capacity in Speke and to develop a training kitchen which will also act as a decanting kitchen allowing FareShare to make the most of donated fresh ingredients and help to deliver ‘ready meals’ where needed.

The money will also fund three new members of staff and purchase five additional vans. All of this will improve the resources and efficiency of the food being received and distributed and will assist with the expansion plans to reach more communities in need. With 140 community groups on the waiting list for surplus food, the funding will also help FareShare to begin providing food to two new groups per week and provide additional support directly to those in need.

Steve Morgan CBE, Chairman of the Steve Morgan Foundation said: ‘We are delighted to be able to support the Coronation Food Hub. We recognise that collaborations such as these between funders, delivery partners and community groups are essential to not only improving food distribution but to tackling the root causes of poverty and deprivation.’

‘Getting surplus food to hungry people is not easy and, despite best intentions, does not always work on the ground. Having grown up in the area served by the facility and from working with hundreds of local community groups, I know first-hand the challenges faced by families in our region. We are looking forward to working closely with FareShare to bring this powerful partnership to life and tackle the very real and daunting need in our communities.‘

Dame Martina Milburn said: ‘Since the Coronation Food Project was launched by The King and Queen last year, we’ve been seeking support from partners who share our mission to reduce food waste and tackle food poverty. I am so delighted that the Steve Morgan Foundation has stepped forward to fund the new Coronation Food Hub in Merseyside. This is going to make a transformational difference in the area – helping to rescue tonnes more surplus food and circulate it to communities in great need.‘