A NEW project that will distribute surplus food from local businesses to people in need will be launching soon in Melksham.
A group of volunteers have set up the ‘Melksham Community Larder’, which will save fresh food – such as fruit, vegetables and bread – that can no longer be sold by local supermarkets, shops and cafes and make it available for locals to collect.
The group hopes to launch Melksham Community Larder as soon as possible, once agreements have been made with local supermarkets and cafés to supply their surplus food to the project. Once the project has been launched, food will be available for collection from ‘that meeting space’ in the Market Place, with the times for collection and food available published in advance on the project’s Facebook page.
The group is also in talks with the town council about the possibility of taking over the Roundhouse, the Grade II listed building in Church Street, as a more permanent base.
As well as offering a lifeline to people who may be struggling with the cost of living crisis, the initiative has also been praised as way of preventing food being sent to landfill and wasted.
Volunteer Adrienne Westbrook – who has completed a ‘level 2 food and hygiene’ course to lead the project – said, “People have been so keen to get involved and help out – I’ve had about 20 volunteers come forward already to help. The idea is that it will be for an hour, around 5pm to 6pm outside ‘that meeting space’ to start with. Then after that, I hope the town council will help by moving us into the Roundhouse – but that’s a bit further down the line.
“We are now working hard on sourcing a regular supply of food.”
John Firth from ‘that meeting space’, the short-term home for the new project said, “The Melksham Community Larder will work in conjunction with the Food Bank, quickly handling and distributing perishable food that the Food Bank cannot handle. We hope to connect through ‘Neighbourly’ [an online platform that helps businesses connect with local community projects] with several other stores in town and as such, be able to supply perishable food that would otherwise by thrown away, to people who would normally not have access to this kind of food.”
The idea for the Melksham Community Larder was inspired by stories from Ukrainian refugees that meet weekly at ‘that meeting space’.
John said, “One family I engaged with said, ‘We have food in the house, but no fresh food’. It is at times like that that you realise that families are going without, while food is being consigned to waste bins.”
For more information and further updates about ‘Melksham Community Larder’, visit the Facebook page: www.facebook.com/Melksham-Community-Larder-112198364861745
