People living in Holsworthy will be getting a new community fridge as part of a project that collects surplus edible food and gives it away for free.
We provided a £1,000 grant to Holsworthy Community Fridge Steering Group to help launch a community fridge. The grant will pay for the electrical connection, and other vital costs which will be based outside Holsworthy Library.
The project has also been supported by Devon County Council's National Lottery-funded 'Food Rescue' project which has provided the fridge, sponsored the signage, and provided ongoing support and advice for the project.
Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust; LiveWest; Holsworthy Library and Geoff Cusick, President of Holsworthy Rotary Club have been working together to launch the fridge, working in partnership with local food suppliers such as Waitrose and Co-op, who have also been incredibly enthusiastic about the community fridge and are keen to work in partnership with the steering group.
Alison Knight, our Community Connector, said: “We are really excited about bringing a community fridge to the town of Holsworthy where we believe there is a real need for this type of initiative.
"The hope is that people will take advantage of the free food and find new ways of using ingredients and experimenting with different vegetables. When there is food available, it is there to be shared with the local community, people can pick up a few items whilst leaving surplus home grown food for others.”
Following on from our Slow Cook, Low Waste campaign to reduce food waste, the Holsworthy Community Fridge will ensure that good food gets eaten and doesn't go to waste.
The project has brought different parts of the community together in its development – students from Holsworthy Community College built the framework of the community fridge cabin in their design and technology lessons with wood donated by local business Tamar Trading.
Dartmoor MAT estates team has also gone the extra mile recently in assembling the fridge on site, including painting the wood, roofing the cabin and fixing the signage. A whole relay of support, effort and encouragement has gone into the project to make it a success.
LiveWest has 133 properties in Holsworthy and the fridge will be a good access route for families as they travel to the local, school, shops, college and leisure centre. There are some people who may be struggling financially within this area and it is hoped that providing a range of free food will be of benefit as well as reducing edible food going to landfill.
Melissa Trudgill, Community Engagement Manager at Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust, said: “We are hopeful that all members of the community will use it on a regular basis. This is a green project using food that would otherwise go to waste and is available for everyone. We are particularly thankful to Holsworthy Library for their ongoing support by supplying the electricity for the fridge.
"Once the project is well-established it is hoped the service will go mobile to service some of the isolated nearby villages. Food for children was affected during recent lockdowns in the pandemic so Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust has been hands-on, delivering food hampers across the Trust locality.”
A bank of volunteers will visit the fridge twice daily to monitor usage and record the balance between food taken and food delivered by the volunteer drivers, who collect from the local food stores. The steering group will be an overseeing body who will support the committee and ensure the longevity and sustainability of the project.
We are grateful to the volunteers who have signed up to help with this project. If you are interested in being involved with the project, please contact Alison Skinner, by email on: Alisons@ttvs.org.uk
To learn more about food waste, view our Slow Cook, Low Waste booklet now.
