Residents of March, Cambridgeshire, will have access to the town’s very first community fridge when it officially opens on 1st March 2021. The fridge will be located in FACT’s Community Hub on Martin Avenue (PE15 0AY).
The environmental charity PECT, working in partnership with FACT, is launching the community fridge to help tackle food waste and support local residents who are most in need. The community fridge will enable people to access free food – sourced from farms, cafes, stores, and supermarkets – that would otherwise have gone to waste.
Many people in the UK struggle to afford food and, according to the Food Foundation, 14% of families with children have experienced food insecurity in the past few months – made even worse by the economic impacts of Covid-19.
“A community fridge can give vulnerable residents access to emergency food aid, without any stigma,” explains PECT’s Health and Wellbeing Lead Karen Igho. “Any member of the public can access the community fridges, with no referrals needed. We want to help ease pressure on residents who are struggling to feed themselves and their families, while diverting surplus food from landfill.”
PECT has previously established two community fridges in Peterborough, which have successfully helped reduce food waste at the same time as providing free food for the local community. The new project in March will be run day-to-day by volunteers, who will monitor and maintain the fridges and collect the food from outlets.
The project has been made possible thanks to section 106 monies for environmental projects administered by Fenland District Council.
The fridge will be open on Mondays and Fridays from 10am-12noon, and food will be provided on a first-come-first-served basis, following all current Covid-19 guidelines. If people have special dietary requirements, they are asked to contact the fridge prior to their visit, so that the team can try and accommodate this where possible.
To contact the community fridge team, please call 07704 070563. To get in touch with PECT, call Karen Igho on 01733 568408 ext. 310 or email [email protected]. You can also visit www.pect.org.uk.