31 March 2023 | Community news
Local housing association LiveWest has provided a £1,000 grant to Holsworthy Community Fridge Steering Group to help launch a community fridge, by paying for the electrical connection, which will be based outside Holsworthy Library and other vital set up costs. The project has also been supported by Devon County Council’s National Lottery funded ‘Food Rescue’ project which has provided the fridge, sponsored the signage and provided ongoing support and advice for the project.
Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust, LiveWest, Geoff Cusick, President of Holsworthy Rotary Club and Holsworthy Library have been working together to launch the fridge working in partnership with local food suppliers such as Waitrose and Co-op, who have also been incredibly enthusiastic about the community fridge and are keen to work in partnership with the steering group.
The community fridge will ensure that good food gets eaten and doesn’t go to waste and has brought different parts of the community together in its development – students from Holsworthy Community College built the framework of the community fridge cabin in their design and technology lessons with wood donated by local business Tamar Trading. Dartmoor MAT estates team have also gone the extra mile recently in assembling the fridge on site, including painting the wood, roofing the cabin and fixing the signage. A whole relay of support, effort and encouragement which has been heartening to see.
Melissa Trudgill, Community Engagement Manager at Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust said: “We are hopeful that all members of the community will use it on a regular basis, this is a green project using food that would otherwise go to waste and is available for everyone. Once the project is well-established it is hoped the service will go mobile to service some of the isolated nearby villages. Food for children was affected during recent lockdowns in the pandemic so Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust has been hands-on, delivering food hampers across the Trust locality.”
Alison Knight, Community Connector at LiveWest said: “We are really excited about bringing a community fridge to the town of Holsworthy where we believe there is a real need for this type of initiative. The hope is that people will take advantage of the free food and find new ways of using ingredients and experimenting with different vegetables. When there is food available, it is there to be shared with the local community, People can pick up a few items whilst leaving home grown food which is surplus, for others.”
LiveWest has 113 properties in Holsworthy and the fridge will be a good access route for families as they travel to the local, school, shops, college and leisure centre. There are some people who may be struggling financially within this area and it is hoped that providing a range of free food will be of benefit as well as reducing edible food going to landfill.
A bank of volunteers will visit the fridge twice daily to monitor usage and record the balance between food taken and food delivered by the volunteer drivers who collect from the local food stores.
The steering group will be an overseeing body who will hold the committee to account and ensure the longevity and sustainability of the project. We are grateful to the fantastic volunteers who have signed up to help with this project. If you are interested in being involved with the project please contact Alison Skinner .
About LiveWest LiveWest provides over 39,000 homes to over 80,000 people throughout the south west from Gloucestershire to the Isles of Scilly. LiveWest has plans to build around 6,500 homes in the area over the next five years, developing new homes of all tenures including low-cost rent and sale, market rent and sale, and a range of supported housing and intermediate housing products creating choice and flexibility. As well as developing new homes LiveWest continues to invest in existing properties and communities. Through the stability of good housing, we place better living for better lives at the centre of our mission both today and for generations to come. At LiveWest we believe in a home for everyone.
For more information, images or interviews, please contact Matt Bamsey Press & PR at LiveWest on 01392 814606/