Tigers lend a hand with move

THERE was a big team effort at the West Coast Business Park on Sunday when Feed Me Surf Coast moved its warehouse to a new location.

Players from the Torquay Football Club were instrumental to the move, volunteering their morning to help the organisation transport their entire warehouse.

Hugh Darke and Michael Croxford were part of the moving team.

From the shelves stocked with food through to the equipment and décor, about 20 players helped move it all, emptying the warehouse in around an hour.

Torquay Tigers player James Ward said the team members were there as a favour to one of the volunteers and the community.

“It’s a good thing to do, and the community always get around us at the footy club and they make that a special place, so why not stretch out and help these people out as well.”

Hazel Darke, on shoulders of, James Darke,Torquay Tigers, move, Feed Me Surf Coast

The community initiative was offered by the football club to assist the not-for-profit organisation and allow them to relocate without needing to spend essential funds on mover’s fees.

A Feed Me Surf Coast spokesperson said it was awesome to have the club on board for the move.

“Everyone involved just made moving such a pleasure, normally it’s the most despised job… It was just really cool to get in there, get it done, it was awesome.

“It’s also really reignited and re-inspired some of our volunteers, really giving them such encouragement to have seen another group come in and do what we all dread with such humour and speed.

“It has absolutely worked in terms of volunteers being able to hold on, it’s not just us alone, there are heaps of good people out there that are prepared to help us out.”

In the past 12 months, the Surf Coast group had 54,456 visits to the market, saving 315,960 kilograms of food from landfill.

(L-R) Ben McNamara, Hazel and James Dark, Oscar Lewis, Harry Goode, Alan McClean and Gerry Verdoorn at the big move on Sunday.

The spokesperson said the group had been in its location for more than five years and had exponentially outgrown it.

“That’s the prime reason for us and we’re combining our commercial kitchen under one roof, so our current two locations will be combined. It [the move] will further our ability to support more people and a much greater reach in our community, certainly we know that’s required given how busy we are.”

Feed Me Surf Coast will open at its new address on Monday, August 18.