FareShare South West’s work simply wouldn’t be possible without our trusty crew of regular volunteers. By volunteering in Plymouth or in Bristol with your business, you can join them for a day.
Corporate volunteering shifts are inspiring, meaningful and hands on, giving you an insight into the world of food surplus and redistribution – and the huge impact made by rescued food on local communities.
“An experience I will never forget. Meeting the FareShare South West team and local charities supporting local communities in Plymouth and around Devon really touched me. So much passion and commitment from the team at FareShare South West.”
Corporate volunteering benefits
Make a tangible difference
Our hubs are live working spaces, and you’ll be doing real tasks that get food in and out of the door. That means volunteers know their time and effort matters, and connects them directly with our vision: a world where no food is wasted, and all people can thrive.
Achieve your CSR/ESG goals
Giving your time helps turn your goals into measurable impact. Every time you volunteer, you’re championing environmental and social good in the south west. The UK food industry alone wastes 4.6 million tonnes of good-to-eat food every year – enough for 10 billion meals. With your help, we can make sure more of that food is rescued, and shared with a network of hundreds of local charities, schools and community groups, reaching thousands of people facing daily food insecurity.
Engage and inspire your teams
Stepping away from a familiar workplace into a hands-on, collaborative environment gives your people time to think differently, connect with colleagues or meet people outside their team.
Work together in a new and diverse environment
Our friendly teams really enjoy welcoming new people through the doors, and you’ll find people from all walks of life here. We’ll give you all the training and equipment you need to work safely and enjoy your day.
Get shareable content for your team, clients and customers
Our hubs are great places to capture photos and video to showcase your efforts and your impact. Every hour a member of your team gives means we can share food for 72 meals.
Who can volunteer?
If you partner with us, please let us know if you’d like to volunteer as a group.
We know not everyone has the resources to develop a partnership with us. For other corporate groups, we kindly suggest a £50 per person donation per shift. We do this to reflect the work our teams will put into your experience, from dedicating time to training so you can work safely in a live warehouse environment to sharing the impact of your efforts afterwards. If this is a barrier for you, please do let us know and we can plan accordingly.
To make an enquiry, complete the form above or email the team at corporatevolunteers@faresharesouthwest.org.uk.
What does corporate volunteering involve?
You’ll be working alongside our brilliant team of volunteers in either Plymouth or Bristol to help get food out to local charities who support their communities. Tasks include:
- Picking food for orders, weighing and counting the correct items into crates
- Sorting food and organising our hub
- Assisting our drivers to deliver food across the south west
- Helping collect food from donors
- Keeping the hub clean and tidy
Some seasonal opportunities also exist, including gleaning (rescuing fresh produce directly from a farm or orchard), but these are less frequently available.
Full training is given to ensure every volunteer feels confident in making a meaningful contribution.
Corporate volunteering FAQ
Corporate volunteering in Plymouth
What days and hours are available?
Shifts run from 9.30am to 4pm on Tuesdays.
What group sizes can you host?
We usually welcome groups of 3 or 4. If you’re looking for a bigger group, please let us know as we can sometimes accommodate more volunteers.
Where are you located?
Unit 4, Sisna Park Road, Estover, Plymouth PL6 7AE.
Is there parking?
There is no on-site parking at the Plymouth hub. Please park on nearby Estover Road, or in one of the limited parking bays on Sisna Park Road.
What do we need to wear?
Please wear clean, casual clothes that are suitable for manual work. The hubs can be chilly in the winter and warm in summer so we suggest that you wear layers.
Please wear sensible, sturdy shoes or boots (no sandals, flip flops or open-toed shoes please). When you arrive we’ll provide you with PPE: hi-vis, warm coats to wear in the chiller, and steel-toecap shoe covers. If you have your own safety boots, you’re very welcome to wear them.
Jewellery should be limited to stud earrings and simple rings. Watches and bracelets should also not be worn.
Where can I keep my belongings?
We aren’t able to provide lockers for personal items, so please leave your valuables at home.
Will refreshments be available?
The team prepare a free community hot lunch every day, and you’ll join the regular volunteers and staff team to eat together. Please let us know in advance if you have dietary requirements.
Tea, coffee and water will also be available.
Can we take photos?
Please do! We ask you to make sure you take photos/video of your own team, and only include other volunteers, staff members or others with their permission. If you’re sharing on social media and want to tag us, make sure you tag FareShare South West (not FareShare, the national charity).
We may ask to take photos of you to capture the day and use in our marketing. If so, we’ll ask you to complete a consent form.
What is the cancellation process?
Your team will play a crucial role in our operation, ensuring essential food is picked, packed, and delivered to charities and schools across the region. Late cancellations or no shows put us in a difficult position as they reduce our ability to meet the needs of our charity food members.
We ask that you commit to filling your shift with the agreed number of volunteers. If you need to change the names of the individuals attending, please just let us know in advance of the shift. If you are unable to attend or fully fill your shift, please give us at least two weeks’ notice, so there’s time to find alternative cover.
Corporate volunteering in Bristol
What days and hours are available?
We offer two shifts each week:
– Wednesdays at our Vale Lane hub, south Bristol
– Fridays at our Little Ann hub in central Bristol
What group sizes can you host?
We usually welcome groups of 3 or 4. If you’re looking for a bigger group, please let us know as we can sometimes accommodate more volunteers.
Where are you located?
Our South Bristol Vale Lane warehouse: Unit 1, Vale Lane, Bristol, BS3 5SA
Our central Bristol Little Ann warehouse: Unit 4 Little Ann Street, Bristol, BS2 9EB
Is there parking?
There is no on-site parking.
What do we need to wear?
Please wear clean, casual clothes that are suitable for manual work. The hubs can be chilly in the winter and warm in summer so we suggest that you wear layers.
Please wear sensible, sturdy shoes or boots (no sandals, flip flops or open-toed shoes please). When you arrive we’ll provide you with PPE: hi-vis, warm coats to wear in the chiller, and steel-toecap shoe covers. If you have your own safety boots, you’re very welcome to wear them.
Jewellery should be limited to stud earrings and simple rings. Watches and bracelets should also not be worn.
Where can I keep my belongings?
We aren’t able to provide lockers for personal items, so please leave your valuables at home.
Will refreshments be available?
Food is sometimes available for lunch or snacks, as some of the rescued food we receive is short-dated and can’t be delivered in time. Due to the nature of surplus food, we can’t guarantee will be available for lunch – often based on good-to-eat rescued food! For this reason, if you have specific dietary requirements, we suggest you bring a packed lunch.
Tea, coffee and water will also be available.
Can we take photos?
Please do! We ask you to make sure you take photos/video of your own team, and only include other volunteers, staff members or others with their permission. If you’re sharing on social media and want to tag us, make sure you tag FareShare South West (not FareShare, the national charity).
We may ask to take photos of you to capture the day and use in our marketing. If so, we’ll ask you to complete a consent form.
What is the cancellation process?
Your team will play a crucial role in our operation, ensuring essential food is picked, packed, and delivered to charities and schools across the region. Late cancellations or no shows put us in a difficult position as they reduce our ability to meet the needs of our charity food members.
We ask that you commit to filling your shift with the agreed number of volunteers. If you need to change the names of the individuals attending, please just let us know in advance of the shift. If you are unable to attend or fully fill your shift, please give us at least two weeks’ notice, so there’s time to find alternative cover.
“The team are so knowledgeable about the cause and impacts. You make me feel part of the team and I would like to thank you for your time and kindness! You should receive more recognition and help for all you do, I will definitely be volunteering again :)”
Ready to find out more? To ask us about corporate volunteering, use the form above or email at corporatevolunteers@faresharesouthwest.org.uk. Or check out the other ways you can support our work by creating a partnership with FareShare South West.
