We were honoured to welcome High Sheriff Greater Manchester, Dr Eamonn O’Neal DL, to FareShare’s HQ this February. Eamonn, now serving a second term, spent the morning with us. He toured our operations and spoke with our team of volunteers and staff.
He met colleagues from FareShare, FareShare Plus, Touch Wood, and EMERGE Recycling. This visit gave us a chance to show how far we’ve come since his last time here, back in 2020.
A second visit, a new chapter
Eamonn first served as High Sheriff Greater Manchester during the Covid pandemic. At that time, he visited both our old HQ and the new Maynard House before it was fully operational. It was a challenging period, with renovations only just beginning and the crisis affecting all areas of our work. This time, he saw the results of that transformation — a hub that now helps distribute millions of meals across Greater Manchester.
A veteran broadcaster and journalist, having worked for Granada TV and Manchester Evening News Eamonn is still a presenter on BBC Radio Manchester from time to time.
“A real delight”
Lucy Danger, CEO of EMERGE, shared her thoughts.
“It was a real delight to be able to show Eamonn our progress. Following his previous visit during Covid, when the building was pretty unpleasant, work had barely begun. We were struggling with the challenges presented by the pandemic. As always, Eamonn was incredibly supportive. It was lovely to see him take the time to chat at length with several staff and volunteers, hearing their personal stories and how they fit into the EMERGE collective operations.”
The Office of High Sheriff is an independent non-political Royal appointment which runs for a single year. The office dates back to Saxon times when the post holder was responsible to the King for law and order within the shire, or county, and for the collection of taxes owed to the Crown. Today, there are 55 High Sheriffs serving the counties of England and Wales each year and they actively support and encourage crime prevention agencies, emergency services and the voluntary sector.
Eamonn took time to meet staff and volunteers from FareShare, FareShare Plus, Touch Wood and EMERGE Recycling. Learn more about how you can volunteer with our food charity and make a difference across Greater Manchester.
