Making an impact across the city
We were delighted to welcome the junior recruits from RSK Environment for a cross-site volunteering takeover. Spanning our Sharrow cafe, Handsworth warehouse, and Norton Nursery, the team provided some extra hands needed to drive our mission of sustainable food impact forward.
For RSK, it was a chance to build stronger relationships across their team in a relaxed, welcoming environment. By stepping out of the office, they gained a 360-degree view of the food system and the massive effort required to keep it moving.
150+ meals for the community
At our Sharrow site, the team jumped straight into a high-pressure production shift to bolster our supply of freezer meals. The kitchen was a hive of activity as the team prepped mountains of potatoes, carrots, and cabbage for dishes like South Indian curry, spicy prawn arrabiata, and cod kedgeree.
The RSK team particularly valued seeing how this work directly supports local communities. Beyond the cooking, the personable and welcoming atmosphere created by Food Works staff allowed the team to interact with colleagues they wouldn’t normally see in a traditional work setting.
“Being part of a team helping to prep meals for the community was particularly rewarding. It felt like I was doing something useful and impactful for the local community and the environment.” – RSK volunteer.
By the end of the shift, the team had helped box up over 150 meals ready for distribution across Sheffield!
The scale of surplus
Over at Handsworth, the focus shifted to logistics. This site gave the volunteers a first-hand insight into the sheer scale of food waste and the massive effort required to redistribute surplus food efficiently.
It was a day of high-volume teamwork – sorting, organising, and networking. For many, seeing the mountain of carrots was a wake-up call regarding their own habits:
“With how much food is wasted daily, it felt good being able to put it to other use. Seeing the effort required to provide affordable food gave me more awareness and motivation to reduce my own food waste.” – RSK volunteer.
Creating lasting change
At our Norton plant nursery, the work was hands-on and physical. The RSK team helped remove old stone paths to make way for woodchip -improving drainage and soil diversity – while others riddled compost and potted on winter salad leaves.
The team described the nursery experience as fun and relaxing, enjoying the rare opportunity to work outdoors together. There was a real sense of pride in being trusted with the delicate parts of the process, like planting seedlings that will eventually become part of a more resilient local food system.
“What I enjoyed most? Being trusted to actually plant the seedlings! Seeing the before-and-after difference we made in just a few hours was actually really rewarding. The staff created a relaxed atmosphere to build relationships in a way that’s hard to replicate in the office.” – RSK volunteer.
A big thank you to everyone at RSK Environment who joined us. We hope to see you again soon!
Why corporate volunteering matters
For Food Works, hosting large groups like RSK is incredibly valuable. It allows us to tackle the big jobs that are often too large for our daily operations to manage alone. The work done at the nursery, for example, has created a permanent improvement in our growing environment.
For the team involved, the feedback was clear:
- Teams interacted with Food Works staff and colleagues they wouldn’t normally see in the office in a meaningful way.
- Volunteers saw the immediate before-and-after impact of their hard work.
- Participants left with a deeper understanding of food waste, local food production, and community resilience.
Ready to get your team involved?
Our corporate volunteering programme gives your employees the opportunity to use their time and skills to support causes that matter. Whether you are a small team or a large organisation, your impact can be huge.
Head over to our corporate partnerships page so see the range of ways you can get involved with us or contact us: sarah@thefoodworks.org
