Newcastle College Student Placements
In September we were joined by six students who have been getting some hands-on work experience while studying on the Supported Internship placement course at Newcastle College.
Chloe, Sharmin and Subhan
Working in the office are Chloe, Sharmin and Subhan, who help us by sending out emails to the groups we deliver to, logging volunteer hours, and filing. Chloe is here two days a week doing admin tasks. Although the work of downloading and emailing dispatch notes was a surprise for Chloe at first as it was all new, she is now confident about her work and manages all of her tasks to a brilliant standard.
Sharmin and Subhan work with us one day a week along with their support workers Marion and Michael. They are a huge help in the office － they enter data on the hours worked by our volunteers and help us by researching food waste and environmental issues. Alongside FareShare, they also help at Bill Quay Farm, learning about customer service, welcoming visitors and handling money. Sharmin even finds time to get involved with social media for an internet radio station and volunteering at the RNIB.
Subhan really enjoys research! He helped compile a list of ways to reduce food waste (find below) and has been making a collection of recipes that use a range of unusual ingredients.
From top left to bottom right: Subhan and Michael, Chloe, Harry, Sharmin & Marion
Ethan, Harry and Kian
In the warehouse side of FareShare, Ethan, Harry and Kian have been learning new skills: from helping to receive and store stock to picking and packing food deliveries. For Harry, the warehouse seemed massive and intimidating at first, but it only took a matter of days to get used to it all, and he found the tasks easy to pick up. Harry has a great attitude, with nothing being difficult for him, and his work is like second nature now.
As well as learning about working with stock, manual handling and food hygiene, he is always willing to get stuck in and has learnt lots of useful skills to take with him for his future. The best feeling for Harry has been the sense of pride in his job, and he has a whole new appreciation for going home to a hot meal and having enough to eat.
It’s been amazing having the students here and we are looking forward to them helping out in the office and the warehouse until the end of the school year!
How to Reduce Food Waste:
- Freeze what you won’t use in time. Most foods can be frozen, cheese, and even eggs (once they have been cracked and beaten)
- Keep bagged salad and spinach leaves freshers by putting a piece of kitchen towel in the bag – this will stop it going slimy
- If your council offers a food waste collection service – use it!
- Check your fridge is at the correct temperature: between 3 and 5 degrees
- Write a meal plan for the week and only buy what you need
- Keep your fruit and veg in the fridge – it will last longer (apart from potatoes, onions, bananas and pineapple)
- Know the difference between ‘use-by’ and ‘best-before’ dates. Use-by is about safety and food is not safe to eat after this date. ‘Best before’ is about quality, foods are still safe to eat after this date.
