The Devon & Cornwall Food Association Ltd (DCFA)

NEWSLETTER
January – February 2011
Spare Food is Share Food!
7 Whimple Street, Plymouth, Devon PL1 2DH Mobile: 07745819828 (text only) Email: saudigeoff@yahoo.co.uk Website: http://dcfa.webs.com

FOREWORD BY THE CHAIR DCFA NEWS

Dear Friends and Supporters,

Welcome to 2011, and to our second Newsletter! We’ve

F UNDRAISER. This is a time-consuming task but an
extremely important one for us. We’re urgently looking
for someone who has experience in this field of expertise to
held our first Board Meeting of the New Year and things are help us in a voluntary capacity. Interested? Please contact
starting to move along nicely. Our Geoff (details at the top of the page).
Press Release has been made public
and we’re aiming for all-systems-go in
February.
There’s still a lot of work to be done
P LYMOUTH FUNDRAISER GROUP. Christine and Geoff
attended a meeting of this rejuvenated group on
th
Thursday, 20 January 2011. The meeting was well-
behind the scenes and we’re so attended and there was a good exchange of ideas.
grateful we have a fully-committed
Board of Trustees; otherwise we would simply not have
progressed this far so quickly. As Chair of our Board, I’m
indebted to them all and value their support so very much.
P RESS RELEASE (JANUARY 2011). Geoff issued the Press
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Release, on the evening of Thursday, 6 January 2011.
More details on this further into our Newsletter.
A small group of us travelled to Bristol this month to take a
look at how the FareShare South West system operates, and
a report of that will appear here in our next Newsletter.
We’re delighted to report that we’ve been awarded a
R ADIO DEVON INTERVIEW. Chloe AXFORD from BBC
Radio Devon interviewed Christine when she visited
the BBC Studios in Seymour Road recently. Chloe has
monetary grant from the Church Urban Fund and this will offered us a repeat broadcast in four to six weeks time so
help us to get our project off the ground. do please listen out! This interview was also broadcast on
The subject of Food Waste is at the very top of our agenda Radio Cornwall.
at present but we also hope our charitable aims will go a
little way towards helping to relieve some hardship being
experienced during this recession whilst at the same time,
helping to reduce the amount of good food going to landfill.
V OLUNTEERS. Individuals and organisations have been
coming forward to offer help. This is a direct result of
our Press Release and also our advertising in the Plymouth
Please watch this space for more developments on this Shopper. We
exciting new project! are of course
Best wishes delighted with
this response as
Christine we wouldn’t be
able to trade
Christine Reid without their
Chair help! We’re
DCFA Board of Trustees particularly
looking forward
to the assistance
promised to us by Plymouth City College!

The Devon & Cornwall Food Association Ltd (DCFA) is a Private Company Limited by Guarantee.
Our Funder:
Registered Company Number: 07419679. Registered Charity Number: Pending

Members of :
NCVO (The National Council for Voluntary Organisations) ...And Voluntary Donations.
PTSC (The Plymouth Third Sector Consortium),
and The Small Charities Coalition.
 DCFA WEBSITE
http://dcfa.webs.com
DO YOU WISH TO VOLUNTEER WITH
DCFA?
O UR WEBMASTER. Friends & Supporters of DCFA
should know that we’re not paying for our website.
You should know that we have a volunteer who maintains it
Go on-line, download the without any monetary expenses on her part. This volunteer
is content to work away quietly in the background. She
Application Form, complete the doesn’t make a living as a professional Webmaster and
therefore her work for DCFA isn’t necessarily as smart as
details, and submit it to Geoff. others. Our webmaster is completely self-taught and only
started to learn all the web and graphic technicalities just a
few years ago from near zero experience.
But she helps us not only because she loves doing it but
DCFA MEETINGS because she believes in what DCFA is trying to achieve for
its community.

F EBRUARY 2011. Our next Board Meeting will be held at

st
10.30 a.m. on Tuesday, 1 February 2011 at Catherine
Baptist Church in Plymouth. Any suggested items for
If anyone has any suggestions or comments
regarding our website then do please feel free to
inform the Newsletter Editor who will pass them
discussion should be sent to the Secretary (contact details on to our Webmaster.
at the foot of the page).

F UTURE MEETINGS. All future meetings will be scheduled

for 10.30 a.m. but are subject to change at short notice. DOES YOUR ORGANISATION
st
PROVIDE
Tuesday, 1 March 2011
- General Board Meeting (Exeter) FREE MEALS OR FOOD PARCELS?
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Tuesday, 12 April 2011
- General Board Meeting (Truro) If your organisation would benefit
rd
Tuesday, 3 May 2011 from receiving free food produce
- General Board Meeting (Plymouth) then go on-line, download the
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Tuesday, 7 June 2011 Application Form & Wish List,
- General Board Meeting (Plymouth)
complete the details, and submit it
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Tuesday, 5 July 2011 to Geoff.
- General Board Meeting (Plymouth)
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Tuesday, 8 November 2011
- Annual General Meeting (Plymouth TRAINING & COURSES

Mrd
AY 2011 MEETING. Catherine Street Baptist Church
will not be available to us for our meeting on Tuesday,
3 May 2011. Can anyone suggest a suitable alternative
venue that we might use? Please contact Geoff (details at
the top of Page 1).
W ORKING WITH VOLUNTEERS. FREE E-Workshop to
help you get started. E-Workshops; a practical resource
for you to use at a time that best suits you.
A NNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2011.
held on Tuesday, 8
November 2011 and we’re
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Our AGM will be
Working with Volunteers. This E-workshop is available via
email and is in the form of a workbook. It is suitable for:
already looking for one or
two Guest Speakers. Can  Voluntary groups and social enterprises that are managing or
you help or do you know planning to manage volunteers to deliver services.
someone that can? Please
contact Geoff (details at  Managers developing policies for recruitment and management
of volunteer workers.
the top of Page 1).

Contact the DCFA Newsletter Editor at DCFA... details at the top of Page 1.
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The workbook is designed to help your organisation To book a place please contact:
develop good management processes without having to
take time out of your working day to travel to an event. Nicola TRUSCOTT
We’ll send your FREE workbook via email and you can get Telephone: (01752) 201766
started straight away or in your own time. To obtain your Email: nicola@plymouthguild.org.uk
copy email: marie.white@co-active.org.uk or ring on:
0845 519 5759.
Please provide us with your name, address, email and
telephone number and the name of your social enterprise
and we’ll send your workbook via email.
S OCIAL ENTERPRISE WORKSHOPS AND ONE-TO-ONE
BUSINESS ADVICE CLINICS. These workshops and clinics
are being offered FREE by Co-active Ltd.
If time is short and you can’t attend one of our events these
E-workshops are just for you! Plymouth Workshops:
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Thursday, 17 February 2011:

P LYMOUTH THIRD SECTOR CONSORTIUM NETWORK

MEETING. The following Network meeting will take place
in January 2011:
Workshop Startup - Starting in Social Enterprise:
9.30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
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Wednesday, 23 February 2011:
Community Anchors Network: Workshop Masterclass - Finance for Growth:
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Wednesday, 26 January 2011, from 10 a.m. at the Tamar 10.30 a.m. - 12.30 p.m.
View Community Complex, St. Budeaux, Plymouth.
Plymouth advice clinics:
If you would like to attend these networks please contact:
Book a one-hour slot for a clinic between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.:
Nicola TRUSCOTT
nd
Telephone: (01752) 201766 Tuesday, 22 February 2011
th
Email: Tuesday, 8 March 2011
nicola@plymouthguild.org.uk
For more details and to book your place please contact:
When making your reservations, please mention Marie WHITE
you are a Friend & Supporter of DCFA. Telephone: 0845 519 5759
(9.30 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. Mondays to Fridays)

Business Services

P LYMOUTH THIRD SECTOR CONSORTIUM

FREE Training Courses: February 2011.
PO Box 36
Newton Abbot TQ13 0WP

PTSC has the following training sessions taking place in Co-active Ltd Registered in England
February 2011 which are open to all staff and volunteers. (company registration no. 2050566)
Numbers are limited for each course so please book early to Registered office:
avoid any disappointment. Please remember to say that you 26-28 Southernhay East,
are a Friend or a Supporter of DCFA when you book. Exeter EX1 1NS
nd
http://www.co-active.org.uk
Tuesday, 22 February 2011: Facilitation Skills
Provide an overview of facilitation, helping participants notice
the processes involved. This course will help participants
improve their performance in facilitating both informal and
formal meetings and small groups and larger meetings.
rd
Wednesday, 23 February 2011: Tools for Development
Workers (High participation techniques and activities for
engaging people in groups or teams)
To provide development workers with some practical tools
which address some common issues groups or organisations
have to address and to help development workers gain some
creative techniques for working with the groups and
organisations they support.

All courses are free and refreshments are included.

Contact the DCFA Newsletter Editor at DCFA... details at the top of Page 1.
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 WOULD YOUR ORGANISATION
G REEN PAPER ON GIVING. The following information
was received from the Cornwall Voluntary Sector Forum:

The Cabinet Office has published a new Giving Green Paper,

BENEFIT FROM A TALK & proposing new ways to
POWERPOINT PRESENTATION? encourage people to give their
time and money to build a
stronger society.
Much has been made in the
Are you a school, a charity, a faith media about plans to give
group or some other organisation people the option of making
charitable donations when they
needing to know more about DCFA? withdraw money from a cash
We will come to you and give a brief machine.
However, the Green Paper
talk and PowerPoint Presentation to includes a number of further
developed and potentially
tell you about our work. important proposals including:
Just contact Geoff... • Community First Fund: A £50 million programme match-
contact details at the top of Page 1. funding contributions from local donors to support
neighbourhood groups, particularly those operating in areas
Book now! of significant deprivation.

• An £42.5 million Volunteering infrastructure

programme providing brokerage and support to
volunteers and the organisations managing them.

• Proposals to develop time banking using internet

technology.

The Green Paper is a public consultation to which anyone

with an interest may respond. Responses should be sent to
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giving@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk by Wednesday, 9 March.
A white paper with firm policy proposals is expected in
Spring 2011.

DO YOU WISH TO BECOME A FRIEND

OTHER NEWS OF DCFA?

A N ACT OF KINDNESS. The university I work for kindly

provides food for all the people attending their
conferences. It bothers me that they throw away all the
Go on-line, download the
leftovers... so last week I asked if I could give them away. Application Form, complete the
There was a huge tray of yummy, healthy sandwiches left
and it would have been such a shame to see them thrown details and submit it to Geoff.
away. The guy from catering even allowed me to borrow a
large tray to carry them on. I went looking for the homeless
guy that usually sits in front of our local supermarket. He
was sitting there reading and petting his dog on a blanket,
and was thrilled when I showed him the food. He had
nothing to carry the food in and offered to bring the tray
back the following week. Although we had never spoken
before I decided to trust him with it, and I was not
disappointed. He brought it back squeaky-clean yesterday
and we had a nice chat while sharing some oranges. This
has inspired me to share more with local homeless people.
Anonymous.
Also visit: http://www.helpothers.org/news.php

Contact the DCFA Newsletter Editor at DCFA... details at the top of Page 1.
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 From: John
RESPONSES TO OUR PRESS RELEASE To: Geoffrey READ <saudigeoff@yahoo.co.uk>
Sent: Sat, 8 January, 2011 9:28:07
From: Michael at Intercom Subject: Re: DCFA: PRESS RELEASE
To: Geoffrey READ <saudigeoff@yahoo.co.uk>
Geoff,
Geoffrey, I think this is terrific!
Many thanks for the Press Release... what a terrific project! We wish you To have reached the point where you have set up your little company in
all the best, and I hope in due course (when there are local collection such a short time is quite outstanding.
centres) we’ll be promoting it to our service-users and supporters. John
All the best! Devon & Cornwall Refugee Support Council
Michael
Dr Michael From: Nicola Truscott
Executive Director To: Geoffrey READ <saudigeoff@yahoo.co.uk>
Sent: Tue, 11 January, 2011 10:05:28
From: david and kim Subject: Re: DCFA: PRESS RELEASE
To: Geoffrey READ <saudigeoff@yahoo.co.uk>
Sent: Thu, 6 January, 2011 22:03:18 Dear Geoffrey,
Subject: RE: DCFA: PRESS RELEASE Thank you for this PRESS RELEASE, i would like to confirm that we have
added this to the PTSC website as a News item.
Happy New Year! Regards
STAK would definitely be interested in anything that was on offer! Nicola Truscott
Sounds great. Consortium Admin Support Worker
Anything would be gratefully received. Plymouth Third Sector Consortium
Thanks

N
Kim EW CITY CHARITY AIMS TO REDUCE FOOD POVERTY.
The following article was
Fri, 7 January, 2011 10:35:15
Re: DCFA: PRESS RELEASE
published in The Herald on
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From: wasteaction.org.uk Tuesday, 18 January 2011:
To: Geoffrey READ <saudigeoff@yahoo.co.uk>
A CHARITY is being launched to save waste and reduce food
Geoff,
New year greetings!
poverty in local communities.
Cornwall Waste Action have put your press release on our website: The Plymouth-based Devon & Cornwall Food Association
http://www.cornwallwasteaction.org.uk/ as well as Twitter and FaceBook (DCFA) is being formed to provide food to organisations
page. working with disadvantaged people.
Regards.
Guy
Organisers, who are appealing for help to get the group on its
feet, hope it will eventually become a franchise of FareShare
From: Gill UK.
To: Geoffrey READ <saudigeoff@yahoo.co.uk> FareShare UK is a nationwide charity which takes surplus fit-
Sent: Fri, 7 January, 2011 13:01:24 for-purpose products from the food and drink industry.
Subject: Re: DCFA: PRESS RELEASE
It redistributes it to organisations working with disadvantaged
Dear Geoffrey, people in the community, such as homeless shelters.
Hope all is well with you and that this drums up some support for the Geoff READ, DCFA volunteer, said: "Every year millions of
project. tonnes of first-class food ends up in landfill sites.
Regards
"At the same time, even in this modern day and age, there are
Gill
Allen Lane Foundation thousands of people, including many children, living in poverty
in the UK.
From: Purnima "FareShare is operated nationally throughout the UK and our
To: Geoffrey READ <saudigeoff@yahoo.co.uk> nearest set-up is located at Bristol.
Sent: Fri, 7 January, 2011 16:52:50
"Our group aims to extend the area of this operation into
Subject: Re: DCFA: PRESS RELEASE
Devon and Cornwall."
Hi Geoff! Food which is still in-date will be collected from the FareShare
Thank you for this info. Although I’m not a press person, I am very Depot in Bristol and directly from other local outlets in Devon
motivated to join this venture as I believe in Food for all and that it is
and Cornwall on a regular basis and then distributed to those
possible. I pray daily to God to feed each and every stomach; and God tells
me there is an abundance already but it is human greed, cruelty, organisations serving vulnerable and needy people.
mismanagement and food wastage that so many of our brothers and Mr. READ said: "Initially we intend to travel to Bristol to collect
sisters and children sleep hungry. a supply of food to distribute weekly, but the longer term aim
Thank you and good luck.
is to obtain storage facilities in Plymouth and make Plymouth
Purnima
the main hub of our operation.
"At this stage, cold hard cash is the main stumbling block.
"The company is urgently seeking funds to hire a transit van on
a weekly basis to make the journey to Bristol and back.

Contact the DCFA Newsletter Editor at DCFA... details at the top of Page 1.
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"Perhaps there is a commercial company in Plymouth that
could help us out with this? Additionally we need a small
warehouse or storage and distribution facility... initially for just
one day per week."
The company is run by volunteers and is looking for more
people to join the team for driving, food handling and food
distribution, fundraising and various administrative tasks.
Anyone able to help can contact Company Secretary Mr. READ
on 07745 819828 or email saudigeoff@yahoo.co.uk
For further information, visit www.dcfa.webs.com.
Mr. READ said: "We have no storage, we need a warehouse,
chillers, vehicles, volunteers and money."
DCFA is eventually hoping to become a franchise of FareShare
UK, a nationwide charity carrying out similar work.
At the moment the nearest FareShare operation is in Bristol.
Earlier this month Don GARDNER, a FoodBank organiser from
Cornwall, warned the number of people in the county facing
hunger could rise significantly.

THIS SPACE
COULD HAVE BEEN USED
TO PLACE
YOUR NOTICE!
Why not contact the Editor?

N EEDY IN DEVON AND CORNWALL TO BE GIVEN SURPLUS

FOOD. The following text is taken from the BBC website
following a broadcast on Radio Devon &
Radio Cornwall on Tuesday, 18 and
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The
th
Thursday, 20 January 2011: Devon & Cornwall
The charity organisers hope Food Association
supermarkets will donate
food... Ltd.
A new charity is aiming to
reduce food waste and help
disadvantaged people in (DCFA)
Devon and Cornwall.
The Plymouth-based Devon &
Cornwall Food Association
(DCFA) wants local
supermarkets and producers
to donate food destined for
landfill.
It will then redistribute it to homeless shelters and food banks.
Organisers said local charities were struggling to find enough
food for people in need because of the economic climate.
Christine REID, from DCFA, said: "There’s deemed to be a lot of
poverty in Devon and Cornwall because of low wages and high
unemployment.
"The aim of this project is to alleviate food waste.
"We're getting good food that would otherwise be thrown
away."
She said the charity would be able to use food coming up to its
sell-by date.
7, Whimple Street, Plymouth, Devon PL1 2DH
'No storage' Mobile: 07745819828 (text only)
Fellow organiser Geoff READ said two food producers in Telephone: (01752) 563800
Cornwall had already agreed to donate food. Email: saudigeoff@yahoo.co.uk
Website: http://dcfa.webs.com
But he said a lack of resources meant the charity would have to
move slowly at first.

Contact the DCFA Newsletter Editor at DCFA... details at the top of Page 1.
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