Fair Frome

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Who we are

Fair Frome champions greater financial, educational, and social equality for people living in Frome and the surrounding areas. We work alongside communities, families, individuals, volunteers, partner agencies and other stakeholders to create joined up, sustainable services, support innovation, raise awareness of the issues of poverty and increase participation across Frome.

We also work with the local community to raise a voice against the causes of poverty and deprivation locally and nationally and are affiliated to the Independent Food Advisory Network (IFAN), The Living Wage Campaign and The Equality Trust. Fair Frome also acts as an umbrella group, regularly bringing together local agencies working with people in poverty to share ideas and plan joint services. This has been especially useful during the ongoing cost of living crisis. We support other groups and events in the town including the Frome’s Big Christmas Get Together.

Our History

Fair Frome was founded in November 2013 following a six week feasibility project, commissioned by Frome Town Council following observations of the need to support people living in poverty. The brief of the feasibility study was to ascertain need, consider how best to set up a project which will relieve poverty in Frome, look at effective provision already established in Frome, the gaps in provision, and recommend which areas to target, and what services will make the biggest impact on people’s lives. Alongside this was a clear aim to “Raise a Voice” about poverty and inequality in Frome.

In 2014, Fair Frome then became a fully independent CIO registered with the charities Commission with a new group of trustees.

Since then Fair Frome has led, delivered and supported projects. It established the strapline ‘Real People, Real Projects, Real Difference’ to emphasise the need to provide practical projects which had a real identified need and impact on poverty.

We started with the Food Bank in 2014, which was initially run from two shipping containers on waste ground and have grown to include many more projects since as need has unfortunately grown exponentially. The beneficiaries of Fair Frome are people, children and adults of all ages, living in Frome and the surrounding areas, specifically those who are experiencing social, health, financial and educational poverty.

We work with local people from all backgrounds to promote social equality

Fair Frome works in Frome with those people most in need of help, and offers practical support, such as ensuring that everyone has access to food, furniture, white goods, baby items and other essentials.

Fair Frome also aspires towards greater financial, educational, social and health equality in Frome and runs projects designed to bring people together from different backgrounds and across generations to find common solutions.

Our impact

With the events of the last couple of years and the current socio-economic situation; our Food Bank and other services have never been busier. In the financial year 2022 we:

  • Provided food parcels to over 600 individuals, 250 couples and 575 families
  • Provided £23,000 worth of fresh fruit, veg, bread and butchers vouchers
  • Distributed £129,000 worth of food to the Frome community
  • Provided over 3,700 hot meals through our Food at Five programme
  • Received over 120 referrals for furniture items
  • Launch a new Baby Basics Bank

Meet the team

As a registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation we have a small staff team and 10 active and experienced Trustees from a range of backgrounds and over 50 volunteers all working together to deliver real projects which make a real difference for real people.

Staff

Rosie Oakley

Co-ordinator

Lenka Grimes

Co-ordinator

Nick McCulloch

Furniture Bank Coordinator

Our trustees

John Killah

Co-chair

Karen Stewart

Co-chair

Sarah Perrett

Beverley Goddard

Bob Cannings

Our partners and affiliations:

As a local umbrella organisation we work with the local community to run a number of campaigns at a local and national level. These campaigns are affiliated with the Independent Food Advisory Network (IFAN), The Equality Trust (TET) and The Living Wage Foundation. More information on these campaigns can be found on our Campaigns page.

We are also closely linked to the Frome Town Council, local Rotary clubs, local support services and businesses. All of which help us here at Fair Frome in various capacities.

Campaigns