Real-time collections
Real time collections are a way for stores to confirm a collection “on-demand” (in real time)!
It can be frustrating to claim a collection in advance to just then be told a few hours before not to go (or worse, to not receive any confirmation, one way or another!) 😓
So selected businesses can request a collection in real time. Store staff will notify us only when there's food, and a slot will be created for later that day (instead of being created in advance).
This means we know there will definitely be food to collect! 🎉 These collections are marked with the “Surplus Food Confirmed” label on the Volunteer Hub.
How does it work?
📣 Collection slots will appear as a one-off collection on the Volunteer Hub and in store squad chats for you to claim. They will have the label “Surplus Food Confirmed”.
📳 Slots will typically appear in the afternoon and early evening. Feel free to update your notification settings on the Volunteer Hub to be alerted when a one-off becomes available.
👀 Look out for a confirmation message in the squad chat once you’ve claimed the collection before going ahead to the collection.
⏰ Remember to double check the site closing time before attending the collection. If the site closes after the scheduled collection, please attend just before the closing time.
Which businesses are involved?
The businesses that add collections to the Volunteer Hub in this way includes Holland & Barrett, One Stop and catering sites.
Top tips
💚 Some sites will have a mixture of both regular collections and "Surplus Food Confirmed" collections that will only become available on the same day.
🦸 You can step forward as Squad Captain if the position is open and you want to stay in the squad chat. There may not be regular collections scheduled, but you will be able to advise FWHs when they claim a real time collection at that store.
🙏 Please report any issues by filling out the FWH Issue Form located under ‘My Collections’ on the Volunteer Hub. Issues reported in the squad chat will not be seen by a member of the Olio team.