In April 2025, FareShare Greater Manchester took part in the Big Give food waste campaign, aiming to fight hunger and reduce environmental harm. The Big Give Green Match Fund ran from April 22 to April 29. During this time, every donation was matched—doubling the impact of each contribution.
Thanks to this campaign, we were able to rescue more surplus food and provide even greater support to people facing hardship across Greater Manchester.
The Big Give food waste initiative focused on rescuing good-to-eat surplus food that would otherwise have gone to waste. With food poverty on the rise, this campaign couldn’t have come at a more urgent time. In Greater Manchester alone, 145,000 children live in poverty, and foodbank usage has doubled in recent years.
The matched funding allowed us to stretch every pound further—delivering more meals, cutting more carbon, and reaching more families in crisis.
What we achieved through your support
We redistributed enough surplus food to over 250 charities and community groups across Greater Manchester. There, it is used to support people facing hardship. These groups provide more than just food; they offer essential support, including debt advice, skills training and community engagement, helping individuals break the cycle of poverty.
In 2023 alone:
✔ Our volunteers dedicated 21,199 hours of their time.
✔ We distributed enough food for 4.6 million meals.
✔ We reduced food waste, cutting carbon emissions and supporting a healthier, more resilient community.
Donations help us:
✔ Rescue and redistribute more food
✔ Reach more charities and community groups
✔ Provide vital support to individuals and families in crisis
Lasting impact of the campaign
Thanks to your donations and matched contributions, our impact extended well beyond the campaign week. The increased resources helped scale our operations and deepen our partnerships across the region.
Although the Big Give food waste campaign has ended, its legacy continues. Your support helped create a more sustainable, compassionate Greater Manchester.
