Launched at the beginning of October, Aberporth Community Fridge is a non-profit, volunteer-run project aiming to reduce food waste and help locals live more sustainably. Based in Aberporth’s  Canolfan Dyffryn and funded by the Co-op Foundation and Cynnal y Cardi, in just a couple of weeks the initiative has already saved ten kilos of perfectly good food from ending up in landfill.

Community Fridge Co-ordinator Nicola King explains,

“It’s really exciting. It’s going to be a real asset to the community. We have a massive fridge and a massive freezer and do food surplus pick-ups from Aldi, Tesco, Co-Op and other local stores to collect food that is still edible but would otherwise end up in landfill. Anything that is still in date goes into the community fridge and anything about to expire gets re-labelled and stored our freezer, so it doesn’t go to waste. As well as food picks ups, we also take donations from local people and businesses. The milkman donates all of his surplus milk to us too.

We take fresh foods, wellbeing products and dried goods – things like pasta, tinned food and even dog food. And if any gardeners have surplus vegetables, they can bring them down to us. It’s all about reducing waste, recycling and sharing. There’s no means testing, and the project isn’t a food bank, it’s just an open resource that’s accessible to everyone in the community. And as well as sustainability, there’s the social part of it too which is particularly important after the isolation people have faced because of Covid. So, when people come to use the fridge or donate food they can also stop for a cuppa and a chat.”

Although it’s an incredible scheme in its own right, the fridge is just one part of Aberporth Village Hall Committee’s £1.1 million Heart of the Community project where you can learn how to use technology and surf the internet safely at the digi club, source quality recycled clothes from the amazing Dillad Dwywaith scheme or get stuck in at the community garden. There are also plans for a luncheon club and cooking lessons. And in true Christmas spirit, Nicola and her team will be making and delivering festive hampers to people in the local community next month. The whole ethos of the project is to create a supportive, multi-generational community space that brings local people together whilst enabling more sustainable ways of living.

The Community Fridge is currently open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

If you’d like to get involved as a volunteer, donate food or just stay up to date with what’s on, you can just turn up and say hello or visit the Aberporth Heart of the Community Fridge Facebook page for more information.

Alternatively, you can email Nicola at avhcommunity.fridge@gmail.com.