KFC and food redistribution charity FareShare today reveal a new ‘Bucket Bike’ designed to raise awareness of community kitchens and the need for more of the volunteers who power them. This comes as KFC hits the milestone of 1 million meals redistributed via FareShare.
The joint action is being driven by shocking new research commissioned by KFC and FareShare revealing that 51% of Brits don’t know if there is a community kitchen in their area. Indeed, whilst 31% of us could confidently locate a local food bank and 26% a local animal welfare charity, just one in ten (10%) could say the same for a community kitchen.
This is despite the fact that 11 million Brits are currently facing food insecurity, according to The Food Foundation[i], many of whom access community kitchens as a vital resource.
FareShare has a presence in every Local Authority and Parliamentary constituency across the whole of the UK. Its charities and community kitchens operate as local support hubs for people facing food insecurity, using chicken from KFC to offer hot meals or food parcels for people to enjoy at home. Many of the groups receiving food from FareShare also offer wraparound care to the people they support, such as mental health support, guidance with money, and referrals to external organisations. Volunteers are crucial to this ongoing work.
Generous Brits disconnected from local impact
Brits are generous when it comes to supporting those in need – with 53% vowing to volunteer in future and 50% of us keen to offer our time to a local charity.
However, a lack of information (22%) and limited awareness of local charities (20%) were identified as key reasons people have not volunteered more in the past.
In more positive news, 32% of us would volunteer at a local community kitchen if there was one in our area.
Recruiting new community heroes
Research also shows 86% of Brits know where their nearest fast-food restaurant is and 77% of us expect restaurants to give surplus food to communities in need. KFC has been partnering with FareShare since 2021 to donate surplus chicken – and this month has hit a new milestone, with the equivalent of 1 million meals’ worth of food redistributed. KFC is currently on track to donate the equivalent of 2 million means by the end of the year through its ongoing partnership with FareShare.
The joint campaign to big up the Bucket Bike is designed to raise awareness of local charities and community kitchens – driving volunteers to offer support at a time of need. By shining a light on the existing volunteers transporting surplus chicken from KFC restaurants to almost 1,000 charities and community groups across the UK, the hope is more will come forward to support FareShare.
The Bucket Bike is being trialled by volunteer drivers in Brighton between FareShare’s Sussex & Surrey local depot and the KFC restaurant on Western Road. Its eye-catching design, modelled on KFC’s iconic Bargain Bucket, is geared towards awareness raising.
Jenny Packwood, chief corporate affairs officer at KFC Pan-Europe, UK & Ireland, says: “It’s so positive to see how much people want to give back – but there’s such a low awareness of local charities, like the amazing FareShare community kitchens, helping to feed people in our local communities who need it most. At a time when food insecurity is high, we need to remove the barriers to helping local people give up their time. By bigging up the bucket bike, we want to shine a light on the tireless work of local volunteers in transporting our chicken from restaurant to plate and show people just how easy it is to give back, so that we can all tackle food insecurity and continue to provide the joy of our finger lickin’ chicken to communities in need.”
FareShare Sussex & Surrey volunteer delivery cyclist Adam Hall says: “Whilst volunteering for FareShare Sussex & Surrey, I have been amazed by both the amount of people who benefit from the food redistributed by FareShare, and the generosity of people who have surplus food to give. I have lived in Brighton for 10 years and always thought I knew the area really well. However, since volunteering for FareShare my eyes have opened to how many community kitchens, food banks and other care providers there are, right on my doorstep, that I had no idea about. It’s amazing to see businesses like KFC supporting the work of FareShare and giving back to local communities.”
Kris Gibbon-Walsh, chief operating officer at FareShare, says: “Volunteers are at the heart of everything we do at FareShare. We know that the charities and community groups we provide food to often rely on the generosity of volunteers to deliver their services. Through our work with KFC, we are hoping to shine a light on all of the wonderful volunteers giving their time to help get food to people in their local communities and encourage more people to volunteer with FareShare.”
Dan Slatter, chief executive officer at FareShare Sussex & Surrey, said: “Over 150 wonderful people of all ages and all walks of life volunteer with us each week, many initially come to us driven by a desire to help others locally in Sussex and Surrey but most stay due to the sense of community, belonging and friendship. Volunteering is such a wonderful thing to do, aside from the enormous practical help to our operation, there are huge benefits to combating isolation and improving physical and mental health. Shining a light on food insecurity and the benefits of community cooking through this partnership with KFC and FareShare is incredible. We hope that by spot lighting the wonderful work of our volunteers, more people will be inspired to take action and help their local community.”
KISS FM partnership to supercharge awareness
As part of its ongoing partnership with KISS FM, KFC will be using 2024 to talk about its mission to get meals to the people who need it the most. Working with KISS FM gives a platform to talk about this in a way that resonates with younger audiences. KISS FM presenter Tyler West visited a community kitchen recently which is supplied with chicken from Fareshare and KFC and spoke with volunteers and beneficiaries.
DJ Tyler West, KISS Radio, Weekdays 4pm – 7pm: “Already on this journey I’ve learnt so much and felt so inspired by the stories I’ve heard. It’s a privilege to be able to shine light on those making real change and helping people up and down the UK. It’s so important now that we’re able to connect with the services available and support in any way we can.”
