Sheffield food provider hails ‘amazing’ support in desperate search for new home

Food Works has had several offers of accommodation after being told it must leave its Wybourn warehouse before May 22.

Some are temporary - meaning it definitely won’t be ‘homeless’ - and some could be suitable long term, bosses say.

The Star was among many who publicised the plight of the social enterprise, which has 300 volunteers who cook and distribute thousands of meals to 11 hubs across the city.

Rene Meijer, CEO of Food Works, said they’d had an ‘amazing amount of tips, leads and offers of help’ and it was ‘great to have friends in the city looking out for us’.

He added: “We've had quite a few properties offered, including a few that seem very suitable.

“We're expecting to make an offer on one of these locations before the end of the week, pending a second viewing.

“The primary challenge, should we come to an agreement, will be to make sure we get the legal work sorted in time for us to move in before our licence expires.

“So it's a bit of a race against the clock still, but with some good options at the end of it.”

Coun Mazher Iqbal, cabinet member for business, councillors and city council property services staff helped by contacting every property person on their extensive contact list, he added.

Over the past year, the social enterprise has also ‘redistributed’ almost 500 tonnes of food that was going to waste and provided 40,000 boxes of groceries via markets in Wybourn and Sharrow.

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Thank you. Nancy Fielder, editor.