Shrewsbury community fridges to help tackle food waste

Organisers from Shrewsbury Food Hub are appealing for two places in town to house the fridges which have been funded by Sainsbury's.

When the scheme is up and running, anyone in need will be able to help themselves to food from the fridge.

Katy Anderson, from the food hub, said: "It's a really simple idea that gives everyone a chance to do something for the community.

"The way it works is that people can bring their surplus food, put it in the fridge and then someone else comes along and collects it.

"We've all been in that situation before where you're about to go on holiday but have bought too much food and end up just throwing it in the bin.

"Well, in this case you'd be able to take it to the community fridge so someone else can benefit from it. It's just a really lovely way of making it really easy to share food."

The fridges will also be topped up with surplus food from eight local supermarkets, collected every week by volunteers from Shrewsbury Food Hub.

They are now looking for two places in Shrewsbury that would be interested in hosting the fridges.

Katy said: "We're looking for organisations to host the fridges and to be responsible for making sure the food is in date, things like that.

"We're looking for one in the north and one in the town centre maybe, or at Meole Brace.

"Ideally it would be somewhere accessible to everyone and somewhere with a high footfall - maybe somewhere already involved with food distribution, like a cafe."

There is currently 27 community fridges across the UK - including one in Brookside in Telford which is s being run by Brookside Big Local, with support from Stirchley and Brookside Parish Council and Charitable Incorporated Organisation.

Anyone interested in the community fridge scheme should email Katy on katya.sfh@gmail.com or visit www.shrewsburyfoodhub.org.uk