The Bristol office of national investment management firm Rathbones has agreed a three-year partnership with food redistribution charity FareShare South West, including a programme to help disadvantaged people get jobs.
The partnership has been arranged through the Rathbones Foundation, the firm’s charitable fund.
The employability programme will be based at FareShare South West’s new South Bristol warehouse in Knowle West and aims to provide a stepping stone for disadvantaged people to access long-term employment through the provision of work experience, skills and training.
Rathbones said FareShare South West’s mission aligned closely with its own principles of community investment, including a focus on supporting equality of opportunity and supporting charities where funding would make a significant difference.
The partnership will help the charity plan income over several years and ensure any donations are maximising impact.
Alongside the financial contribution, Rathbones will also be supporting through volunteering at FareShare South West’s food warehouses and be exploring other activities with the charity, including financial skills workshops for trainees and training opportunities for the charity’s trustees.
Established in 2007, FareShare South West is the region’s largest food redistribution charity and works to fight hunger through tackling food waste.
FareShare South West saves hundreds of tonnes of in-date, good quality surplus food sourced from across the supply chain and redistributes it to frontline organisations ranging from school breakfast clubs to homeless shelters and women’s refuges who transform it into meals for the vulnerable people they support. 
It has continued to expand and develop its services in response to the needs of the communities it operates in.
It recently launched its FoodStock 2021 emergency campaign to build a stockpile of ambient food in a pop-up warehouse to deliver to families in what is likely to be a difficult winter.
This will mean enough food for a million meals for those most in need in a two-month period coinciding with the Christmas holidays.
Since the pandemic started the need for FareShare South West’s services has increased dramatically. It has provide emergency food for 6.1m meals.
Rathbone Greenbank Investments foundation lead for Bristol and senior ethical, sustainable and impact researcher Sophie Lawrence said:
“FareShare South West provides a lifeline to many in our community. 
“We are proud to have launched a three-year commitment to support this local charity and to help them develop their services and meet the evolving needs around food poverty in the South West.”
FareShare South West director of fundraising and communications Phoebe Ruxton added: “We are continually striving to meet the most pressing needs of our local community.
“We are delighted to have Rathbones on board as their support will help us to continue with our programmes, operations, and campaigns designed to ease the burden of those experiencing food poverty here in the South West.
“Their support will also help develop new initiatives that will give disadvantaged people in Bristol the training and skills needed to move into long-term employment.”
Over the past few years Rathbones has supported numerous Bristol charities, including alternative education provider Urban Pursuits, Empire Fighting Chance, which uses a combination of non-contact boxing and intensive personal support to challenge and inspire young people, and the Bristol Drugs Project.
Rathbones has a strong history of philanthropy and responsible citizenship, dating back to working with Florence Nightingale to introduce district nursing in Liverpool.
