Community fridge use is up 500 per cent as a result of pandemic
The country's first community fridge - which started in Somerset - has seen the numbers using it soar this Winter.
Last updated 8th Dec 2021
It started in Somerset to reduce food waste and it's claimed the country's first community fridge has now become a lifeline for many.
Terri Pitt helped found the site in Frome in 2016, which now gives away 2.5 tonnes of food a month - donated by 47 local businesses.
She says they're increasingly seeing people rely on the service.
Ms Pitts added: "The community fridge is ultimately set up to reduce food waste although during the pandemic we've been able to help people who are waiting for benefits to kick in.
"When the drop in Universal Credit from £20 a week went we had 57 messages from people in desperate need of food and wanting help - and we were able to help them by meeting up and suggesting that we make food parcels for them.
"Now with the pandemic, with people struggling on Universal Credit and losing their jobs as the furlough scheme's ended we're seeing an increase of about 500 per cent.
"It's a lot of people come and use our community fridge day in and day out."
In May 2016 Frome Town Council worked with Edventure and a volunteers to set up the UK’s first community fridge in a bid to tackle food waste and food poverty.
A spokesperson for the town council said: "A community larder was later launched in October 2018 to accommodate items that don’t need refrigeration.
"Food waste is responsible for 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
"An estimated 15 million tonnes of food is wasted each year in the UK, enough to fill Wembley Stadium 18 times over. At the same time 4 million people live in food poverty in the UK.
"An impact assessment published in May 2019 found that the fridge now shares 90,000 ‘surplus’ items a year, saving 140 tonnes of greenhouse gases, the equivalent to driving 340,000 miles."
The Community Fridge and Larder are located in the Loop de Loop Gallery in the Cheese and Grain car park. They are open from 9am to 7pm every day.
Hubbub coordinates the world’s largest Community Fridge Network with 250 Community Fridges now running across the UK - including the one in Frome.
Click here to support a campaign for shutters for the community fridge