​Melissa Trudgill, Community Engagement Manager at the Trust has been developing partnerships with Holsworthy Town Council, Mutual Aid Group, Live West, Holsworthy Library and TTVS to work together to set up the first Community Fridge in Torridge. It is due to open in June and will be located in front of the Library in Holsworthy.

The amazing thing about this project is that it is sustainable by using the surplus from local food suppliers which would go out of area and be thrown away and offers the food to local people who can put it to good use. Melissa said ‘this is a green project and I have been encouraged by the support from local food suppliers who are keen to see their food surplus stay within the Town and be used by the community rather than go to waste’. As we all strive to drive our carbon footprint down this is a sustainable project beneficial to the environment where food would otherwise be going to waste.

​The fridge can be used by those wishing to top up their universal credit and are finding it hard to make ends meet in these challenging times to the single person who may just want a few mushrooms or one orange rather than a whole bag. No one is turned away or has to meet certain criteria to take food.

We hope that this initiative will be supported by a bank of local volunteers and that in the future we can set up rural larders or more town fridges using the same model.