A VOLUNTEER is on a mission to help the poor by rescuing surplus food destined for the waste bins of supermarkets and manufacturers.
Don Gardner, of Camborne, Pool and Redruth Foodbank, this week launched Foodshare to collect non-perishable goods that are unsuitable for sale.
Volunteers working at a new warehouse in Redruth will store the donated items in the depot before distributing them to foodbanks around Cornwall.
"There's an average of 5,000 tonnes of food going to landfill sites every day nationwide because of late deliveries, damaged packaging and unreadable barcodes," he said. "We want to tap into this.
"Over the past 12 months I have been offered food stocks by manufacturers but until now I have not been able to take any because I did not have anywhere to store it.
"We are talking to local shops and manufacturers and we have already got one business, Crantock Bakery, interested in being part of the scheme."
Last year Mr Gardner's foodbank received 18,000 pasties from Crantock Bakery after a supermarket refused to accept them because the company missed its delivery slot.
He has since been giving them to local clubs and groups in return for financial donations to buy non-perishable food for his foodbank.
Mr Gardner said the need for help remained greater than ever, with more than 30,000 meals provided in the past nine months alone.
"We, as a trust, have discussions with the government bodies and we see at least two years of upward trend in terms of need for help.
"Our foodbank has struggled at times for stock and had to go out and buy food. Foodshare is hoping to alleviate food shortages in the county."
The CPR Foodshare is asking any foodbanks interested in benefiting from the scheme to supply a member to work one day a month in the Redruth warehouse and contribute about £50 a year towards depot costs. Fore more information call Don on 01209 714592.
