Tackling food poverty

Trowbridge Future is a small charity that offers support to vulnerable people in the area through a number of initiatives.

We’ve provided the charity with funding to help run its essential Community Fridge project on the Seymour Estate in Trowbridge.

We had a chat with Trowbridge Future’s Community Manager Zoe Meaden to find out more about the project…

What is the Community Fridge project?

Zoe: The Community Fridge project started as a war on food waste. It ensures perfectly good food that supermarkets and other places would usually throw out doesn’t go to waste. With the current financial climate, we realised there was a real need for our Community Fridge and have been providing locals with food supplies.

How has the pandemic impacted the project?

Zoe: The pandemic led to our first Community Fridge, located in the Shires Shopping Centre, closing down as our community hub was too small for social distancing. We decided to start running a Community Fridge at our Seymour Community Hub as there was more room, which allowed us to continue supporting our community.

Who benefits from your Community Fridge?

Zoe: The fridge is open to anyone in Trowbridge – it’s about “feeding bellies not bins”. We don’t want people to feel a stigma around using the fridge. It’s open once a week for people to pop in and pick up food. In total, we are helping to feed around 160 people every week.

What’s your involvement?

Zoe: As the Community Manager, I am responsible for running the fridge. I collect food from a local supermarket and bakery, while also doing the promotion and fundraising for the project. Additionally, I help to signpost local people to the fridge and other local services they might need.

How will our funding support this project?

Zoe: Wessex Water’s funding will be used to help run our Community Fridge, which will allow us to further address food poverty in our community, while also reducing the carbon footprint of local supermarkets and businesses.