Frome’s Community Fridge Seeks Local Sponsors

Frome’s pioneering community fridge is launching a local sponsorship scheme to ensure the project can continue to reduce food waste and increase access to fresh produce. Set up by Edventure in May 2016 with support from Frome Town Council, a team of volunteers enables almost 4000 items to be eaten rather than thrown away each month. The fridge, based at the colourful Loop de Loop near Frome library is open every day from 8am to 8pm.
Project co-ordinator Lauren Goodey said ‘Every £1 spent on the fridge enables £11.48 of food to be shared. We are looking for 20 local businesses to sponsor the scheme and are also inviting sponsorship from individuals for less than 60p a week – you even get a ‘Friend of the Fridge’ badge.’
To ensure there are volunteers delivering food to the fridge each day, cleaning, checking and promoting, the project employs a part time co-ordinator. It also pays rent and electricity. The project therefore needs to secure £250 a month by the end of July to cover its costs.
Frome Town Council’s Resilience Manager, Anna Francis said ‘This is great opportunity to be part of a unique project. 10 community fridges have been set up around the country following Frome’s example, the fridge’s toolkit has been downloaded by 180 community groups and the fridge has featured on Channel 4 and BBC news. On average in the UK we throw away a third of the food that we buy, the fridge provides a simple solution to avoiding this waste and can take any packaged items that are still in date. Sharing food in this way is an excellent way to cut costs and carbon.’
To sponsor the fridge or get involved visit: www.edventurefrome.org/fridge