They first started SecondBite in 2005, with just three volunteers in Victoria and moved just over 600 kg of food a year. Since then, it has grown at an astounding rate with the generous support of volunteers, donors and supporters alike.
SecondBite works with over 1300 community food programs across Australia to redistribute rescued food to those in the community who need it the most. In 2019 SecondBite rescued 19.4 million kilograms of food, providing the equivalent of over 38 million meals to individuals throughout the country, which is equivalent to over 100,000 meals a day.
Now a national organisation, SecondBite has warehouses across Australia. SecondBite provides support all across the country with hubs in suburban and regional areas and by linking agencies in rural communities directly with their local supermarkets. SecondBite supplies fresh, nutritious food to more than 1300 agencies nationally, completely free of charge.
Simone Carson is a registered nurse with a keen focus on children’s health, having worked in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at the Royal Children’s Hospital and coordinated research projects for the Infectious Diseases Department. Simone is a member of the SecondBite Food Security Advisory Committee, Volunteer Committee and a Trustee of the SecondBite Future Trust. She was a board member of the St Vincent’s Research Institute Foundation.
Ian Carson is President of the Victorian Arts Centre and a Trustee of the Melbourne Cricket Ground. He was Founder and Chair of SecondBite from 2005 to 2017. Ian is working with the City of Melbourne, the Salvation Army and others to improve homeless outcomes in Melbourne and Australia.
In 2015 Simone and Ian were named the World Economic Forum's social entrepreneurs of the year for creating a charity to rescue leftover fresh food from restaurants and supermarkets. They were recognised for their work with SecondBite along with 31 others in various fields from around the world in the annual awards run by the forum's Schwab Foundation.
In 2015 Simone and Ian were named Schwabb Foundation Global Social Entrepreneurs of the Year. Ian Carson was also the recipient of the Southern Region (Australia) Social Entrepreneur award as part of the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2015 program.
In 2017 Ian and Simone were awarded an Order of Australia in recognition for ‘significant service to the community through contributions and leadership in the food sector, and to business’.