Hereford Cathedral are pleased to announce that they will be supporting St Martin’s Foodshare as it evolves into South Wye Foodshare.
St Martin’s Foodshare, which was established in 2020, began as a small operation distributing food waste to those who needed it. Over the last six years it has grown to become a thriving project which is run by around thirty volunteers, and which serves 5-600 people in south Hereford each and every week. The project obtains surplus food from local supermarkets, the national charity FairShare and other sources which is then shared with people from the local community.
The project had originally operated from St Martin’s Church but a change in circumstances during October 2025 meant that Foodshare had to find a new home. Supported by the Diocese of Hereford, plans were established to ensure the long-term sustainability of this vital community project. Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church and Belmont Community Centre are now both distribution points and Hereford Cathedral can now confirm that they will be overseeing the operations of the project.
As the project evolves it will now be known under the new name of South Wye Foodshare and a vibrant new logo has been created by Method Design to reflect the new identity. The project will continue to run as it has been throughout the previous months with its team of volunteers running shares from Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church on Monday mornings and Belmont Community Centre on Friday lunchtimes as well as a daily share from Pomona Place.
The Very Revd Sarah Brown, Dean of Hereford, says: “There are many committed volunteers from across the city working extremely hard for Foodshare and I am delighted that the cathedral can honour their work and quietly support this project by putting it on the sustainable management and governance foundation that every charity today needs. I am particularly conscious that the current geopolitical situation has the potential to make food scarcity a real problem so a project that ensures that food is not wasted and given to those who are in need of it seems more important than ever. I am in awe of how God is drawing together the abilities and willingness to help of the people of this city of from both secular and faith backgrounds. Foodshare is a small miracle, and we want to honour that.
Tom Milton, Community Project Consultant, says: “I’ve had the privilege to support this project for the last six months through a period of great change, and I’ve been hugely impressed at the dedication, passion and enthusiasm of the team of volunteers that run the project. The positive impact it has in the local community during such difficult times by redistributing food is huge, especially with the cost of living being so high. The project is also a credit to David Bland and the team at St Martin’s who started it, and I’m so grateful to local churches, schools and community groups who have gotten behind it, especially to Hereford Cathedral and Our Lady Queen of Martyr’s Roman Catholic Church. We have also been grateful to Cat Hornsey and Kevin Tillet, who have offered support as Ward Councillors.”
Cllrs Cat Hornsey and Kevin Tillet say: “When the end of FoodShare was announced last October, we were determined that it would not close. Thanks to the commitment and dedication of our many volunteers, we have maintained an uninterrupted service to our community. In fact, we have grown and gone from strength to strength. Now, with unstinting practical help from Our Lady Queen of Martyr’s Roman Catholic Church and organisational support from Hereford Diocese, the future of FoodShare is more secure than ever.”