Food stocked up at Harryville Men’s Shed
Vulnerable people in Ballymena are receiving free food supplies from Tesco stores, thanks to the dedicated efforts of the Harryville Men’s Shed.
More than just a charity, Harryville Men’s Shed provides a welcoming space where men of all ages and backgrounds can come together, talk, and build friendships. With a strong focus on mental and physical wellbeing, the group relies on the hard work of their eight volunteers to offer activities, outings, and even runs a thriving community garden.
But their impact extends far beyond their 35 members. Each week, the Shed stocks a community fridge with surplus food from Tesco—ensuring local families have access to fresh, nutritious food. The initiative is part of the Community Food Connection scheme, a partnership between Tesco and food redistribution charity FareShare.
From baked rolls and ready-made meals to a selection of fruit and vegetables, the fridge is filled with essentials that make a real difference.
“We endeavour to keep waste to a minimum—any extra food is passed on to other charities, and whatever’s left gets composted for our community garden,” said Harryville Men’s Shed Project Coordinator Jim McIlroy.
“The CFC scheme helps everyone, from single parents stretching their budgets to grandads living alone,” said Denver McMeekin, Chairman of Harryville Men’s Shed.
“People come for the fridge and end up staying for a cuppa and a chat, and we’re delighted to provide a welcoming alternative to social isolation. We can’t thank Tesco enough—this scheme has had an incredible impact on our charity and the Ballymena community.”
The Community Food Connection scheme ensures that surplus food from Tesco is given to charities and community groups, whose volunteer members then distribute it to the public. Across the UK it redistributes 2 million meals each month.
Claire De Silva, Tesco Head of Community, said:
“Working with community groups such as Harryville Men’s Shed to help them get the food they need is such an important service for us to be able to provide. The dedication they have to their community is amazing, and we are pleased to do what we can to support.
“We firmly believe no good food should go to waste, which is why we began our Community Food Connection scheme. It enables us to ensure our surplus food is put to good use in communities.”
FareShare is the UK’s biggest charity fighting hunger and food waste. Two-thirds of the organisations it provides food to support children and families.
Katie Sadler, Head of FareShare Go, said:
“The food that Tesco redistributes through FareShare makes a huge difference to people facing food insecurity across the UK.
“We work with thousands of charities and community groups providing essential support to their communities, and receiving a steady stream of food helps them to feed the people who need it most.”
Charities and community groups that could benefit from the support of the Community Food Connection scheme can find further information at https://fareshare.org.uk/getting-food/