The Community Larder reached its one year anniversary last month, following a year of giving away surplus food supplies to the community to save food from going to landfill, whilst helping residents with the cost-of-living crisis.
Based in the Round House in Church Street, the Community Larder opened on 23rd June last year and was open three days a week. Due to the success of the scheme, it is now open five days a week.
At the start of the new initiative, Adrienne Westbrook, along with John Firth, brought a small group of volunteers together at a meeting in the Friends Garden and the Community Larder was launched.
Adrienne said, “We started small with a table in the Market Place outside the town hall. A Facebook page was launched and off we went. Passers-by were confused why we were giving away food for free, but they soon got into the hang of it. If this food was not picked up, then it would go to landfill. Everyone agreed ‘What a waste’ and thanked us for highlighting this.
“We stayed in the Market Place for about eight weeks until the town council offered us the Round House in Church Street. This has been our permanent home for almost a year now. When we moved to the Round House, we opened three days a week. From the week beginning 12th June we opened five days a week.”
The group are now collecting from four local supermarkets, with hopes of another one coming on board soon. They have also been given funding from local organisations.
Adrienne said, “We open to save food from waste, however, obviously it has helped support many families in crisis over the cost-of-living problems now. We have been lucky to gain funding from The Alms House Charity, The Lions and The Melksham Lodge of the Masons. We are very grateful to these organisations and obviously to Melksham Town Council who give us the Round House rent- free.
“If you hate food waste, or need some help with feeding your children, please come and find us at the Round House. Our Facebook page will always give you the information you need. The volunteers are really friendly, and you can stay and chat and meet new friends in the lovely Prince of Wales Gardens.”
In January, the group expanded, opening the Community Wardrobe, based upstairs at the Round House, offering donations of clothes for people if they are struggling. The stock of clothing in the Community Wardrobe is rotated to match the seasons.
The Community Larder is now open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 2pm and Tuesday and Thursday at 4pm. They stay until the food is gone.
It can be found in the Round House on Church Street Melksham, SN12 6LS, near the Post Office.
