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Sun, 18 Oct 2026

Sun, 18 Oct 2026 Gleaning group gives £1m of produce to food banks

Gleaning Cornwall warns that more funding is needed as costs rise sharply.

* Gleaning Cornwall has saved £1m worth of fruit and vegetables that would have been discarded on farms, and donated them to 160 food banks, community larders, and kitchens across the South West.
* The group relies on volunteers to collect unwanted produce from harvested fields and has repurposed over 460 tonnes of produce since its inception in 2020.
* Despite reaching a £1m milestone, Gleaning Cornwall faces financial constraints and requires additional funding to continue operating.
* Food bank usage is at an all-time high, with statistics showing that over 35,500 emergency food parcels were distributed by Trussell Trust's Cornish food banks between April 2024 and March 2025.
* A study by Cornwall Council found that 30% of children in the county are living in food poverty.
* The charity's founder, Holly Whitelaw, encourages people to reduce food waste at home and utilise what they already have to save money and help the environment.