Community fridge opened in Horsham to prevent surplus food going to waste

The Horsham Community Fridge was launched by Fare Divide on Tuesday, November 3, and is located in The Barn of St Mary’s Church in the Causeway.

So far 200kg of edible surplus food – which is collected from supermarkets and retailers in the Horsham area – has been saved from going to waste.

Anita Rosser, from Fare Divide who also volunteers as as a fridge monitor and surplus food collector, said: “The volunteers check the food before the fridge opens to ensure the food remains safe for people to take away.

“We are unlike a food bank because anyone can take food regardless of their circumstances and we also can give out perishable food products.

“The interest and support has grown and grown and the number of people coming to the fridge to take perfectly edible surplus food has also grown.”

Fare Divide is a non profit company limited by guarantee created to help communities in West Sussex to start and manage a community fridge in their area.

Horsham’s fridge is one of a growing number opening across the UK since the concept first arrived here in 2016, and it is the second to be opened in West Sussex – the first being opened in Littlehampton in October 2019.

Horsham’s fridge was able to open with the support of the national Community Fridge Network, environmental charity Hubbub and St Mary’s Church.

Anita, said: “We were originally going to be in Horsham Library but Covid-19 and the lockdown stopped that.

“We looked for a new premises since lockdown was lifted and with the help of Horsham Churches Matter and asking several churches in Horsham, St Mary’s Church very kindly agreed to support us and allow us to keep a fridge, a fridge freezer and an ambient storage cupboard in their Manor Room.

“We are open to everyone in Horsham on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10am to 11am and a team of two, or sometimes three, volunteers help out.”

Food waste is a major issue in the UK. WRAP estimated annual food waste arisings within UK households, hospitality and food service (HaFS), food manufacture, retail and wholesale sectors in 2018 at around 9.5 million tonnes, 70 per cent of which was intended to be consumed by people (30 per cent being the ‘inedible parts’).

This had a value of over £19 billion a year, and would be associated with more than 25 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.

The world’s first Community Fridge Network was set up by environmental charity, Hubbub, to provide free advice and support to Community Fridge organisers and to act as a hub to enable communities to share their experiences and learn from each other.

Some of the challenges faced by the Community Fridges are around the legal requirements and on food hygiene.

Anita said: “We have linked up with Fare Share Go and have been collecting from Tesco’s in Wickhurst Lane.

“Horsham Community Fridge cannot accept food donations from individual households or from unregistered sources. It would be very challenging to identify the correct allergy risks and ingredients and may be unsafe to share with the community. It does accept surplus fruit and vegetables from allotments.”

Horsham Community Fridge has been able to remain open since the second lockdown was imposed on Thursday, November 5.

Hand sanitiser is provided to visitors and only one person or family is allowed to use the Fridge at a time.

For more information on The Community Fridge Network, can be found at www.hubbub.org.uk/communityfridgenetwork

Fare Divide is also hoping to help more communities in West Sussex open fridges in their area. Call 0300 030 9376 or email [email protected] for more information.

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