FareShare and The Felix Project, two of the largest food redistribution charities in the UK, are merging in a bid to enhance their capacity to address the scale of food waste and food insecurity in the country.
Each year, the UK wastes 10.7 million tonnes of food, while 14% of UK households live with food insecurity. With demand rising and eight in ten charities fearing they cannot keep up, the organisations believe that combining forces will help them rescue more food from going to waste and reach more people.
By combining FareShare’s 30 years of nationwide reach and strategic partnerships with Felix’s innovation and London expertise, they will be able to “pool resources, create more collaborative and efficient ways of working and be part of a stronger, joined-up solution to tackling food waste across the UK”.
It is also believed that the merger will give the two charities a stronger voice in campaigning and influencing national policy on food waste and food insecurity.
Through its 17 independent regional partners, including The Felix Project in London, FareShare works with the food industry to rescue good-to-eat surplus food and get it to over 8,000 charities nationwide. In 2024/25, this network helped provide the equivalent of 148m meals.
The new charity will adopt the Felix name, with a refreshed brand identity introduced gradually as part of a phased transition, including a period of dual branding.
Charlotte Hill, who has led The Felix Project to significant growth over the last three years, will be Chief Executive of the new organisation. She said: “Our vision is a nation where no good food is wasted and nobody goes hungry. Bringing together brilliant colleagues, volunteers and partners from both organisations gives us an unprecedented opportunity to scale up food provision for the UK’s most vulnerable communities.”
Kris Gibbon-Walsh, currently the CEO of FareShare, will take on the new role of Deputy Chief Executive. She said: “This merger will enable us do so much more to tackle food waste at source, whilst we continue to support our brilliant independent network partners through increased food volumes, funding and operational support. We will also build on FareShare’s 30-year legacy of connecting good food with communities nationwide.”
Gavin Darby, the current Chair of Felix and former President of the Food and Drink Federation, as well as CEO of Premier Foods, will become the Vice-Chair of the new Board of Trustees.
Leaders from across the food industry welcomed the announcement.
Simon Roberts, CEO of Sainsbury’s and Chair of IGD, commented: “At Sainsbury’s, we’ve worked closely with both FareShare and The Felix Project for many years, and their merger marks an important milestone in the fight against food waste and hunger. By coming together, they’re creating a stronger, more united organisation, one that offers the food industry a clear route to long-term impact and collaboration.
“This is about more than streamlining processes; it’s about building enduring partnerships that help us do the right thing, not just for today’s communities but for generations to come. We’re proud to support their vision and look forward to deepening our work together.”
Christine Heffernan, Chief Communications and Sustainability Officer at Tesco, added: “We are delighted that two of our partners are joining forces to increase food redistribution capability and deliver even greater social impact. At a time when food is still wasted across the supply chain, and communities have a great need for food, this is something that Tesco are proud to support and will help reach even more people.”
Meanwhile, Sarah Bradbury, CEO of the Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD), said: “We are delighted to see The Felix Project and FareShare unite as a single food redistribution charity. This collaboration will make it simpler and more efficient to donate surplus food across the UK.
“At IGD, reducing food waste is a core priority through our Alliance Food Sourcing programme partnership. This union marks a significant step forward in strengthening the food system and ensuring more good food reaches the people who need it most.”
NAM Implications:
- If this combination of charities works to expectation…
- …there will be less food wastage.
- Meaning existing mults volumes will go further i.e. there will be less on-shelf demand.
- Otherwise, what’s the point?
