Behind the Headlines / Podcast
‘Organisations like this shouldn’t exist’
Becoming Fareshare South West’s newest CEO feels like an obvious progression for Gene Joyner.
The new CEO of Fareshare South West boasts 40 years’ worth of experience in the food industry.
He was born and grew up in inner city Bristol, and left school when he was 16 to work at an industrial bakery, before joining a small family business called Bart’s Spices.
is needed now More than ever
After working his way up to managing director, a position he held for six years, he briefly worked with Cornish Sea Salt before returning to Bristol, and eventually becoming managing director at Better Food Co.
“The whole of my working life has been in the food industry,” Gene chuckles.
Fareshare is the latest food-related role for Gene, and one he feels ready for.
“Combining the volunteering with my food background, it seemed natural to be working for an organisation that chimes with my background and my interests and values.”
Gene is understandably cautious about Fareshare’s future.
“Organisations like this shouldn’t exist,” he says. But right now, demand at the moment is far outstripping supply, and organisations like Fareshare are more important than ever.
He’s particularly proud of Fareshare’s Employability Programme, which arose after research by the University of Bristol revealed that one in 10 young people (8.6 per cent) in Hartcliffe were going onto higher education, compared to 100 per cent of young people in Clifton.
Fareshare’s Employability programme helps young people secure long term employment in a warehouse environment – photo: Fareshare
The programme also has a personal resonance for Gene: “I left school as a young black man with no formal education qualifications whatsoever.
Gene says he feels lucky for the opportunities he has been given :“I feel as though I’ve been given opportunities that many of my peers weren’t given.
“I’ve always felt I’ve had to take the opportunities that come my way. But it’s also always been about giving something back, either to the community that I grew up in or the community I’m living in.”
His impact in the local community is certainly far-reaching. An ex-chair of St Paul’s Carnival, a trustee of SS Great Britain and non-executive at United Housing Association, a black led housing association, there isn’t a stone unturned by Gene’s hand.
It’s perhaps this connection with his community that keeps Gene optimistic in a worsening climate and cost of living crisis.
When asked what drives him, Gene says: “When it’s not just about the pay packet, it makes such a difference when people who are there and working for you are sharing the vision and purpose of that organisation.”
Main photo: Fareshare South West
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