DAY IN, DAY OUT.WE TURN PROBLEMS INTO POTENTIAL.

ISSUE 6

We are delighted to share that our Surplus Superheroes have been shortlisted for the FDF Campaign of the Year Award. Last summer, Ollie the Oversized Onion, Franc the Foreign Labelled Fish Finger and their other Surplus Superhero pals joined forces to inform young people about the importance of reducing food waste.

This year, we have some new faces joining our line-up, all coming to the Company Shops and Community Shops across the UK. First on view are Harvey the multi-scented Handwash and Carl and Carrie the wonky carrot twins.

Day in, day out, and never more so than through this Covid-19 pandemic, has it been relevant to recognise and call out our key workers and our hidden heroes.

From our colleague ‘World On A Plate’ initiative to our Queens Award celebrations (click here), hidden heroes is just another example of how we recognise and honour our own amazing team. We are delighted to be shortlisted for this year’s FDF HR Initiative Award.

SUPERPOWERING SURPLUS

‘NOT SO’ HIDDEN HEROES

FIND OUT HOW WE CAN WORK WITH YOU TO TURN YOUR SURPLUS PRODUCTS INTO SUPERHEROES. CALL OUR TEAM ON 0800 211 8484 OR EMAIL SURPLUS@COMPANYSHOP.CO.UK

DELIVERED BY

“THIS CAMPAIGN HELPS FAMILIES TO UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT REDISTRIBUTION IN A FUN WAY - COMPANY SHOP AND THE SURPLUS SUPERHEROES HAVE MADE IT THEIR MISSION TO ENSURE SURPLUS FOOD ENDS UP IN BELLIES, NOT BINS!”

ENGAGING OVER 60,000 CHILDREN, WE USED ‘PESTER POWER’ TO RAISE THE IMPORTANT ROLE THAT REDISTRIBUTION PLAYS IN A SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY CHAIN.

IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT JOB YOU DO, ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW IS THAT YOU ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE.

Helen White, Citizen Behaviour Team, WRAP

CLICK HERE TO MEET JUST A FEW OF OUR HIDDEN HEROES.

DAY IN, DAY OUT.WE TURN PROBLEMS INTO POTENTIAL.

Dr Clive Black, Non-Executive Director at Community Shop.

THE FUTURE OF THE UK FOOD SYSTEM - NINE KEY MATTERSRARELY WHEN NAVEL GAZING DO SCRIBBLERS’ NOT SUGGEST THAT THEY LIVE IN EVER-CHANGING TIMES, WITH CONSIDERABLE UNCERTAINTY ABOUT WHAT IS AROUND THE CORNER. IF THE TRUTH OF SUCH PONTIFICATION EBBS AND FLOWS OVER THE DECADES, IT IS ABSOLUTELY A TRUISM IN THE FIRST HALF OF 2020. THE PACE OF CHANGE IS CURRENTLY AWE INSPIRING AND FRIGHTENING IN THE SAME THOUGHT. THE GLOBAL FOOD SYSTEM HAS BEEN TURNED UPSIDE DOWN BY THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS.

First and foremost, the crisis has displayed graphically, worryingly, the importance of food security, and this may be a higher ongoing priority for policy makers going forward; the dangers to social order when food becomes scarce and so the need to secure supplies. With the UK leaving the EU, food security becomes all the more thought-provoking; where will the UK obtain its produce, what standards should apply and what of domestic sourcing, import substitution and future agri-food policy? Future trade policy, whether with the EU, the USA or the rest of the world, needs to embrace such matters.

SECONDLY, THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS HAS SHOWN WHERE COMPASSION WORKS AND HOW THE STATE, BUSINESS AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS HAVE MOVED MOUNTAINS TO REMOVE HOMELESS PEOPLE FROM THE EMPTY STREETS, FEED THE ELDERLY AND VULNERABLE AND TO DO SO ONLINE.

SUCH GOOD WORK CAN BE BUILT UPON AND COMMUNITY SHOP IS A HYBRID AND PIVOTAL MOVEMENT TO HELP THOSE LIVING WITH REAL POVERTY, NEED AND LOW OPPORTUNITIES WHILST REDUCING FOOD WASTE.Thirdly, online participation in the UK grocery market has shifted to the right through the Coronavirus crisis, doing in twelve weeks what took twenty-three years previously; participation is now 15%, and likely to stick as the risk averse, vulnerable and elderly embrace remote shopping. The UK is just about the leading online grocery market in the world, and recent developments serve to be a revolution within a digital revolution.

Fourth, ‘Retail’ has gained volume share from lockdown and home working. Post-lockdown the latter is likely to also move to the right, so leading to less commuting. As such calorie intake is set to shift from urban centres to neighbourhoods and the food delivery systems can be expected to respond to this development. With respect to work, the world is in recession, and quite what emerges with respect to employment going forward is an immense worry, around food poverty, child welfare and how food systems respond and cope.

Fifth, where Retail has benefited, the Food & Beverage sector has been crippled by lockdown. What re-emerges on the other side of the Coronavirus mountain remains to be seen, but capacity is set to notably fall. Additionally this channel faces the challenges of reticence by the risk averse to occupy high density locations an almost existential challenge. Social distancing and social intimacy are poles apart and awaiting a vaccine could cripple the commercial hospitality industry.

Sixth to ninth, amongst all this is where do the matters of animal welfare, where the UK is a global leader, the ethics of food production in the digital and laboratory age, sustainability and well-being come into food security, trade, agri-food, welfare and domestic food system policy?

These are truly tumultuous times where change is taking place at unrecognisable pace fuelled by technological change, particularly digitisation from which there is much more to come our way through artificial intelligence, augmented reality and virtual reality to name but three process. The food system is not defined by Coronavirus but it has been a adjusted by it, substantively and at pace; the system has already adjusted.

IT IS IMPERATIVE FOR ALL THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE SYSTEM TO ENSURE IT CHANGES FOR THE BETTER; CHANGING THINGS FOR THE BETTER IS AT THE HEART OF WHAT COMMUNITY SHOP IS ABOUT.

DAY IN, DAY OUT.WE TURN PROBLEMS INTO POTENTIAL.

We are excited to have works underway at our brand-new Midlands Distribution Centre in Leicester. This site will increase our processing capacity by 25% and is home to our 9th Company Shop. From August, we will be welcoming members from the hard working FMCG supply chain, the NHS, care and emergency services.

If you are part of the FMCG supply chain and are located near to any of our Company Shop Stores, make sure that your employees aren’t missing out. Contact our membership team here to find out how you can access Company Shop benefits.

Building on our work with the Kirkdale Community, we are delighted to share news of our 6th Community Shop opening in the former Onward Homes office on Walton Road, Liverpool.

The continuing expansion of our social estate is underpinned by the generosity of all of our donation partners, with Community Shop Liverpool being brought to life by Onward Homes and Ocado to whom we are truly grateful.

Community Shop’s deep social impact model is focused on building stronger individuals and more confident communities. From food access in a dignified retail setting, through life-changing personal support and development programmes in our Community Hubs, to wholesome meal provisions in our Community Kitchens, we are supporting those communities that need it most.

We are delighted that Community Shop has been shortlisted for the FDF Community Partner award, for our work in partnering with the community for a stronger future.

NOT ONE BUT TWO!HELLO LEICESTER AND HELLO LIVERPOOL

SEE NATALIE’S STORY HERE.

THIS DEVELOPMENT IS PART OF OUR WIDER SUSTAINABLE INVESTMENT PROGRAMME, STOPPING MORE GREAT PRODUCTS FROM GOING TO WASTE AND ENSURING THAT THEY REACH THEIR INTENDED PURPOSE; WHETHER THAT BE EATEN, USED OR WORN.

STORES ALREADY AT: BARNSLEY, CORBY, GRIMSBY, LONG EATON, MIDDLETON, RENFREW, ST HELENS, WASHINGTON Leicester Site

Kirkdale Site

Leicester Site

GET IN TOUCH TO SEE HOW YOU CAN TRANSFORM LIVES. CALL 0800 211 8484 OR EMAIL SURPLUS@COMPANYSHOP.CO.UK