£15,000 worth of waste food shared between good causes in Shropshire
More than £15,000 worth of waste food from retailers, restaurants and supermarkets has been shared between good causes in Shropshire.
The Community Food Project, based in Tan Bank, Wellington, launched in 2016 and thousands of pounds worth of food was collected this month alone.
The scheme is run entirely by volunteers and it has no paid staff or directors.
Food is collected seven days a week from restaurants and retailers, then immediately distributed to organisations which send the donations to those who are homeless, vulnerable or in need of support. Surplus food is also provided to regular food share events across Shropshire the county.
On Christmas Eve, volunteers collected food from four Aldi stores.
The store in Donnington donated food worth £1,462.76; Wellington £934.99; Telford £1,200 and Snedshill £900.
One generous team member from the Wellington Aldi store bought a whole trolley of store cupboard items, including tinned food and cereals, to add to the store’s donation. The refrigerated donations were sorted immediately on Christmas Eve and taken to A&E staff at Princess Royal Hospital in Telford.
Also benefitting were more than 110 families, dozens of people in supported accommodation schemes, West Midlands Ambulance Service staff and on duty Shropshire Fire and Rescue workers.
Retailers who provide food for the scheme include Aldi, Tesco, Asda, M&S and The Walnut restaurant in Wellington. The project relies on generous donations from the public and businesses to keep going.
It is also appealing for charitable or community organisations to get in touch if they would like a regular delivery of food items.To donate, or for more information, email communityfoodproject@mail.com
