Volunteering with UKHarvest: A Day of Giving Back

At Grange, we are always looking for opportunities to give back to the community and make a positive impact. Recently, thanks to our colleagues at Clarion Housing Association, several members of our team had the chance to do just that by volunteering with UKHarvest. This organisation is doing incredible work in food rescue.  Their distribution hub, head office, and culinary center located near Chichester also has a hub at Graylingwell Park, a development that we are proud to manage.

This impressive facility is packed floor to ceiling with food rescued from local supermarkets, food collections, and farmers. These are often items that would otherwise be destined for landfills, not because there’s anything wrong with them, but due to minor imperfections like unlabelled jars or peppers that are the wrong size or colour. The waste of perfectly edible food is astounding, and organisations like UKHarvest are working hard to change that.

Learning the Ropes

One of the most eye-opening experiences of the day was learning about the challenges faced by farmers who supply supermarkets. These farmers are often required to provide produce that meets specific criteria for size, shape, and colour. As a result, tons of perfectly good produce that doesn’t meet these arbitrary standards are discarded.

UKHarvest rescues these so-called “imperfect” products and distributes them to local food banks or uses them in their kitchens for creative culinary experimentation. During our visit, we got to taste a green tomato cake – and it was absolutely delicious!

Getting to Work

In the morning, our task was to tackle 30-40 pallets of corn cobs that couldn’t be sold due to an impending “best before” date. Astonishingly, 99% of the corn was still in perfect condition. However, once a product is past its use-by or best-before date, it can no longer be stocked by supermarkets. Our job was to remove the existing packaging and repack the corn into containers which would then be used for distribution at local food hubs.  We also repackaged other produce which had been donated in bulk into smaller packages which would be suited to individual families.

Community Impact

These tasks are vital for UKHarvest‘s mission and are largely carried out by volunteers. The organisation also aims to tackle loneliness by organising repacking events where people can come together for a shared purpose. As we wrapped up our morning, we saw ladies from a local retirement home finishing their packaging duties while enjoying each other’s company. It was heartwarming to see how these volunteering events foster community connections and provide vital support.

Afternoon at the Community Hall

In the afternoon, we moved to a local community hall where UKHarvest holds a weekly food pantry for locals from 3-4 pm.  The food from the warehouse is packed into vans and delivered to the hall, where a team of volunteers sets up a display.  The pantry offers everything from fresh fruits and vegetables to bread, meat, eggs, and cereal – all diverted from landfill and made available to those in need.

Final Thoughts

Our day with UKHarvest was an enlightening and rewarding experience. We left feeling grateful for the opportunity to contribute to such a meaningful cause and inspired by the incredible work being done to combat food waste and support local communities.

At Grange, we’re proud to be part of the Clarion Housing Association’s Clarionteering program, which empowers us to make a real difference in our community. A big thank you to UKHarvest for welcoming us and for the fantastic work they continue to do.

If you’re interested in volunteering or learning more about their mission, visit UKHarvest’s website to find out how you can get involved.   We can all make a difference, one small act at a time.

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