News / MOD Abbey Wood
More than 50,000 army ration packs to be donated to charity
Thousands of unused military ration packs are being donated to FareShare ahead of the festive season.
Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S), the procurement arm of the Ministry of Defence (MOD), have donated 57,000 24-hour ration packs they had held in storage to the charity, which helps to feed people throughout Bristol and beyond.
The MOD has been left with a large surplus of ration packs due to significant reduction in training and exercises during the coronavirus pandemic.
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Each pack contains three meals and snacks amounting to 4,000 calories per day. The total number of packs equate to 171,000 individual meals, with additional snacks.
“The coronavirus pandemic has affected so much this year for everyone and for our Armed Forces this has included a reduction in training where these ration packs would have been eaten,” DE&S director of logistic delivery, Roger West.
“I’m delighted that we are able to find a way, through our relationship with FareShare, to see these meals being consumed by those that need them the most before their best before date.”
Lunch groups for older people, community groups and homeless hostels all receive help from FareShare. Photo: MOD
It is the second time ration packs have been donated by MOD. In January 2020, DE&S, which is based at Abbey Wood, donated unused ration packs equating to 14,000 meals to FareShare.
“We’re delighted to continue to be partnered with MOD to help them get their surplus food to good causes,” says FareShare CEO Lindsay Boswell.
“Because these packs don’t need refrigeration, they are ideal for winter night shelters where volunteers need to make food quickly, or to offer to families in temporary accommodation who might only have access to a kettle or a hob.”
The ration packs include meals such as beef goulash, all-day breakfasts and Moroccan bean stew, and snacks such as caramel cereal bars and fruit flapjacks.
FareShare distributes food to more than 11,000 charities across the UK, with FareShare South West directly supporting people in Bristol and the surrounding areas.
Main photo: MOD
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