PECT is launching a new community fridge project in March, Cambridgeshire
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.
PECT aims to help residents in March by opening the town’s first community fridge, which will be located in FACT’s Community Hub (PE15 0AY). The project has been made possible thanks to section 106 monies for environmental projects administered by Fenland District Council.
The fridge officially opens on 1st March 2021, and will be open on Mondays and Fridays from 10am-12noon. 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.
What are we doing?
The community fridge will enable local residents to access free food – sourced from farms, cafes, stores, and supermarkets – that would otherwise have gone to waste. 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.
“In areas where there is demand for emergency food aid, these fridges can provide the added benefit of giving vulnerable residents access to fresh food 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.”
Discover more
The new project will require around 10 volunteers to monitor and maintain the fridges and collect the food from outlets. PECT will train the volunteers to manage the fridges to ensure the long-term sustainability of the project. If you’re interested in volunteering, you can contact Karen Igho on 01733 568408 ext. 310 or [email protected]. For more information about PECT’s work, visit www.pect.org.uk.
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