All hands on deck at Littlehampton Community Fridge for Christmas

All the money will be used to fuel 'Wendy' the refrigerated waste food wagon, chill food and fight food waste.

Manager Sarah Renfrey said 'Wendy' is used almost daily to rescue food, take equipment to events and run Littlehampton Fridge-On-Tour.

"We also need to support our volunteers by continuing to offer petrol expenses, with the rising costs of fuel and keeping their cars out and about collecting from over 100 different supermarkets and local businesses," she added.

"This is not just about keeping a fridge running with free food, it’s about sustaining the beating heart of our communal efforts, in a successful project which has been four and a half years of hard work, with more than 100 active volunteers running the project.

“We know times are challenging, but even the smallest of donations can light up the darkest of times. Whether you can spare something small, something substantial, or even just share this message, everything helps.”

Visit www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/littlehampton-community-fridge-winter-2023-funding for more information and to make a donation.

The community fridge will stay open through most of the festive period and there will be an extra Christmas Eve session to collect and redistribute surplus to the community before the big day.

It has been all hands on deck through the dark evenings and cold nights of December. As many are closing the curtains, getting warm and settling down to a warm drink, a good book or gripping TV serial, the volunteer collectors are just starting work. In the evening, seven days a week, offers of surplus food from supermarkets and outlets come through online and it is time to put on the warm clothing, the hi-vis jacket and head out.

Like a team of squirrels criss-crossing the area from Durrington in Worthing to Bognor Regis, the volunteers set out to gather the day’s offerings. Bread, fruit and vegetables, pizza, pies, cakes, each day brings different surplus food. On arrival at the designated supermarket, store staff wheel out trolleys with trays of the day’s surplus.

Then it is back to St James Church hall in Littlehampton to unload, weigh and put away the food in appropriate storage, whether freezer, fridge or boxes ready for the next day’s hall session.

Come 8am, the next team of squirrels is already at work. Session volunteers begin to prepare the hall ready for the morning’s customers. A queue starts to form outside the hall, eager to know what will be available that morning. Any fresh soup or chicken today?

By midday the session is coming to an end. Many satisfied customers have been able to take five items of food away, including a meal from the fridge, fruit and vegetables and bread – enough to help to feed themselves and their families. The hall is cleaned and tidied, ready to receive the next round of donated food and start the process again.

Why do volunteers go out at all times in all weathers? Littlehampton deputy mayor Sean Lee recently started to volunteer and for him it is about reducing waste and helping people to create nutritious meals.

He said: “I have seen the hardship inflicted upon people by rising prices and food poverty. I decided I could help by collecting food from the supermarkets and thereby doing my bit to ensure waste was minimised. Hopefully the work we do helps those on low or restricted incomes.”

If groups like the community fridge did not collect surplus food and use it, it would be thrown away.

Hayley Berlin, a volunteer who comes from South Africa, said: "Nothing in our country goes to waste. We were brought up with lots of poverty around us, so when I came to the UK in 1999, I was absolutely appalled by waste of food in this country.”

Customers have nothing but praise for the community fridge.

Richard, who has has been attending for two years, said: "It’s good because it stops food being thrown away.”

This is echoed by a customer who lives alone: “I don’t like seeing things going to waste.”

Elaine is disabled and for her, the volunteers are 'always helpful'. She said: "I can go on the website and make a request, I’m always given more than enough food. The volunteers cater for dietary requirements too, such as gluten free.”

Geoffrey enjoys going to the community fridge because of the cheerful atmosphere. He said: "Even though I arrive 30 minutes early and there’s a queue, what amazes me is how orderly, quiet and jovial everyone is. Volunteers are always helpful, non-judgmental making the visit a pleasant, happy experience.”