Young Marketeers from across Newcastle raised £329 for FareShare North East after transforming Grainger Market into a bustling fruit and vegetable stall for the day.

Last month, pupils from eight schools in Newcastle and the surrounding area sold fruit and vegetables they had grown from seed as part of the brilliant School Food Matters Young Marketeers programme.

The project helps children develop practical gardening and entrepreneurial skills while providing hands-on outdoor learning opportunities and increasing awareness of food waste. Throughout the day, shoppers stopped to chat with the young growers, learned about their gardening journeys and stocked up on freshly harvested produce.

We were absolutely blown away by the enthusiasm, creativity and impressive variety on offer at their stall. The children were selling a colourful selection of seasonal produce, including beetroot, lettuce, potatoes, rhubarb, salad leaves and spinach.

One pupil summed it up perfectly, “My favourite part was getting to sell the vegetables we’d grown ourselves. It made me feel proud because people wanted to buy them and we were raising money to help others.”

Join us in saying a massive thank you to all the pupils and teachers from

• Bridgewater Community Primary School
• Chillingham Road Primary School
• Hawthorn Primary School
• Northern Counties School
• Our Lady and St Anne’s Catholic Primary School
• St John’s Primary School
• St Lawrence’s Catholic Primary School
• Welbeck Academy

Also huge thanks to School Food Matters for inviting us to be part of such an incredible initiative, and Grainger Market for hosting us so warmly.

The Young Marketeers programme shows the incredible difference young people can make when they’re given the opportunity to learn, grow and give back to their communities. We can’t wait to see what next year’s growers achieve.

Photo credit: School Food Matters, Grainger Market and FareShare North East.

On 4 and 5 July, the FareShare North East team headed to the Festival of Thrift in Kirkleatham, Redcar, joining thousands of visitors for a weekend celebrating creativity and community action.

From pre-loved fashion and local traders to hands-on workshops, the festival showcased practical ways people can live more sustainably. We were delighted to be part of it, with our own stall and a series of Love Food, Hate Waste cooking workshops delivered in partnership with Nourish Food School.

Across the weekend, our Head Chef, Gemma, joined David from Nourish Food School to demonstrate a simple, delicious recipe – Korean-style beans on toast!

The recipe uses ingredients many people already have in their cupboards. Even better, every ingredient used in the demonstrations came directly from our warehouse, highlighting how easy it can be to reduce food waste at home while creating affordable and nutritious meals.

You can find the tasty recipe here on Nourish Food School’s website.

Our stall also gave us the chance to speak with visitors about FareShare North East’s work redistributing surplus food across the region. Alex Young, our Partnerships Manager, said: “The best part of the weekend was talking to visitors. It was brilliant to share our mission and connect with so many like-minded people who care about making good food go further.”

She added that many visitors also joined our surplus cooking workshops across the weekend, showing just how keen people are to learn easy, practical ways to save money, reduce waste and create delicious meals from surplus food.

We were also pleased to provide of surplus drinks and snacks for festival volunteers, including fruit, cereal bars, biscuits, and tea, to help to keep the team fuelled as they made the event such a success.

Overall, it was a fantastic weekend filled with great conversations, new connections and plenty of enthusiasm for reducing food waste. A huge thank you to everyone who stopped by our stall or joined a workshop. We look forward to returning next year!

On Saturday 13^th June, Team Ripple Effect took on the Coventry Building Society Great North Swim, completing a one-mile open water swim in Lake Windermere. The team brought together our very own Ruth Jackson and Kate Roebuck, alongside a group of dedicated and supportive family members, all united by a shared goal.

Facing waters at a brisk 15.7°C, the team demonstrated incredible determination, resilience and team spirit throughout the event. For some, it was a significant personal challenge. As one swimmer reflected, “It was the hardest event I have ever done. But it was worth it to know we were helping move good food to charities who need it most.”

Thanks to the generosity and encouragement of supporters, the team smashed their fundraising goal. Together, they raised an incredible £1,550, the equivalent of distributing over 13,300 meals.

Every penny raised will support our mission to continue to save good food from going to waste and redistribute it to charities and community groups supporting individuals and families across the region.

Recently, we were delighted to bring together our amazing food members at two Community Partners Forums, creating a positive and engaging space to share insights, discuss challenges, and explore practical solutions to food waste. These sessions offered a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas and highlight the incredible work being carried out across our communities.

Together, we explored key themes such as reducing food waste, identifying ways to improve our service, sharing best practices, and strengthening collaboration across the community.

At our Middlesbrough session, our new Community Chef prepared a fantastic meal using surplus ingredients from the warehouse. The menu included Thai green curry with rice, Bombay-style potatoes, and homemade onion bhajis and naan breads, all of which went down a real treat. Alongside enjoying the food, we had valuable discussions about how we can better support our Members in managing surplus and explored practical ways partners can share resources to further reduce waste.

We would like to extend a huge thank you to Whitley Bay Big Local for hosting our Newcastle session. It was a privilege to meet in a space that plays such an important role in the community through its Surplus Shop, which we are proud to support with food. The sessions sparked thoughtful conversations about the wider impact of surplus food, particularly how it can be used to bring people together through shared meals and community initiatives.

Finally, we would like to say a sincere thank you to everyone who attended the Forums. Your contributions, openness, and commitment to supporting your communities made these events truly meaningful, and we look forward to continuing these conversations and building more opportunities for partners to connect.

Recently, we had the privilege of visiting Heart on the Terrace in Murton, a vibrant and welcoming community hub that truly lives up to its name.

From the moment you walk in, it’s clear this is more than just a place to access support. It’s a space where people come together to connect, create and feel part of something. Regular activities range from crafts and choir sessions to lunch clubs and workshops, all designed to bring people together and reduce isolation. On the day we visited, the community was busy handcrafting poppies for a Remembrance display, just one example of how creativity and collaboration sit at the heart of the hub.

Food, however, plays a vital role in everything they do. With the help of surplus food delivered by FareShare North East, Heart on the Terrace provides a daily pantry, affordable food parcels, and freshly prepared meals throughout the week. Their hot meal offer has grown thanks to regular deliveries, enabling them to provide more opportunities for people to sit down and enjoy a warm, home-cooked dish. On our visit, the menu featured a comforting shepherd’s pie, made using surplus vegetables that might otherwise have gone to waste.

Behind the meals are dedicated volunteers like Pam, whose years of catering experience help bring care and quality to every plate. But more than the food itself, it’s what those meals represent that really stands out. For many in the community, having access to a hot meal can ease the pressure of cooking, especially during times when mental health challenges make everyday tasks feel overwhelming.

One volunteer described Heart on the Terrace as a “lifeline”. They offer not just food, but friendship, routine, and a sense of belonging. It’s a place where people look out for one another and where no one has to feel alone.

We’re incredibly proud to support groups like Heart on the Terrace and to see first-hand how surplus food can help build stronger, more connected communities.

On Sunday 17th May 2026, FareShare North East volunteers and staff took part in the Tees Heritage Walk, organised by Middlesbrough Erimus Rotary Club.

Our team completed the 11 mile route along the banks of the River Tees, stretching from Middlesbrough College to Stockton’s Millennium Bridge and back. The walk gave participants the opportunity to explore the region’s rich industrial heritage while supporting a FareShare North East.

Every mile walked supported our mission to rescue surplus food and get it to the community groups helping those who need it most.

Supporting Our Work

By taking part, our team has helped to raise vital funds that enable us to continue redistributing surplus food across Middlesbrough and the wider North East – turning potential waste into valuable support for local charities and community groups.

Fundraising Milestone

We are delighted to share that we are now over halfway to reaching fundraising target, with donations still coming in. Every contribution helps us rescue more good food.

If you would like to support our efforts, you can still donate here: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/fsneteeswalk2026

Join Us in Making a Difference