GUESTS were invited to celebrate the success of the FareShare food project in Bordon.

In January, under the leadership of volunteer Carol Anne Dann, the Royal Voluntary Service (RVS) lunch club team were accepted into the FareShare scheme.

It all started when Bordon charity Furniture Helpline trustees Elizabeth Cartwright, Michael Cartwright and Brenda Elshaw held a meeting in 2015 to inform other organisations how they could benefit from FareShare.

Fast forward to April 28 and guests, including volunteers from partner organisation Southampton City and Region Action to Combat Poverty (SCRATCH), Whitehill mayor Sally Pond, Radian’s Susie Drummond, the Bordon Food Bank’s Heather Ford, and RVS senior service assistant Kathryn Tate, met at Whitehill village hall to celebrate how successful FareShare had been in the town.

FareShare is co-ordinated by SCRATCH, with Furniture Helpline offering its premises as a base from which produce can be collected. FareShare rescues surplus food which would otherwise go to waste and redistributes it to charities and community groups supporting anyone living in, or at risk of, food poverty.

“Having been part of this scheme we benefit from the excellent quality food which helps us towards providing a varied menu,” Ms Dann said.

The RVS Whitehill lunch club meets weekly at Whitehill Village Hall, and sees between 50 to 60 members attending.