There is a revolution going on in Witney to ‘stop food waste’ ensuring that perfectly good food – which local businesses would have discarded – is now being collected and redistributed to the public. Food waste is an international problem with on average a massive 1.3 billion tonnes of food wasted annually across the globe (UN Food & Agriculture). This is equivalent to a third of the food produced for human consumption (three trillion meals in just one year) being thrown away. In times of global hunger and the increasingly high cost of living we are all facing now in the UK, isn’t it time you joined the ‘Food Revolution’ too?
What started in 2019 as a community fridge, with an actual fridge undercover on Moorland Road, where residents could share and access surplus food from allotments and local food businesses, has grown significantly in the intervening years. Today, the Witney Food Revolution is a network of businesses, volunteers and hunger relief organisations which work together, all committed to reducing food waste in Witney and the surrounding areas.
Having got the community fridge initiative launched in 2019 with the assistance of the Witney Community Support Service, when Covid restrictions came into force in 2020, the ‘help yourself’ fridge was no longer viable. However, with people around the area needing help feeding their families even more than before, volunteers set about making up bags of food for people to collect. Becoming known as the Community Action Group, the Witney volunteers joined CAG Oxfordshire.
In just a few months in 2020, demand continued to rise and whilst the Group had sufficient surplus food, they did not have the space to collect and distribute it. Temporarily moving into the Witney Corn Exchange with the help of the Witney Town Council, volunteers worked tirelessly adhering to Covid regulations whilst serving the community outside. The Witney Land Army helped deliver surplus food to those who were shielding. With the scarcity of supermarket online delivery slots at the time, the joint operation was a lifeline for many people. A second outlet on Church Green meant that boxes of non-perishable foods and fresh fruit and vegetables kindly donated by SOFEA, could also be distributed.
Alongside the hard work and difficult times presented by Covid, a fulfilling community atmosphere was created, and many new friendships formed.
With a partnership formed with SOFEA, the Community Larder moved to a new home, courtesy of the Methodist Church, in November 2020. With the new premises, volunteers were able to offer a market stall operation with visitors able to self-select items. Unfortunately, however, the second lockdown prevented this stall to continue although the Community Fridge was able to remain open.
By April 2021, another move took the Community Larder to The Amos Room. The idea was to create an enjoyable shopping experience both for visitors and volunteers. With the fridge, the area provides more sustainable access to surplus food via a Membership Scheme.
The Membership Scheme offers people the chance for just £3.50 per week, to access on average of £12 to £15 of food including up to ten items of non-perishable items such as pasta, tins, etc, plus free fruit and vegetables.
Members of the SOFEA Community Larder also become part of a ‘community.’ The experience is not just about buying food, it is a place to stop and chat and make new friends. It is also a place for support and advice on topics such as debt, finances or how to access mental health care, how to cope with domestic issues affecting your daily lives or work-related matters. Trusted, expert advice is on hand to help people.
The Community Larder is different from the local food bank. They are not means-tested and people who come to the larder may in fact be referred to the local food bank. Community larders are instead designed to help support people to live more independently, they provide a helping hand not a handout and are a long-term sustainable approach to food insecurity. Money generated from membership goes back into the local Witney community or supports the young people and adults with whom the larder works.
To find out more about how you can join Witney’s ‘Food Revolution’ witneyfoodrevolution.com.
