Fenland Food Pantry Marks First Anniversary, Preventing 35 Tonnes of Waste

A community food pantry in Fenland is celebrating its first anniversary, having prevented approximately 35 tonnes of food from being discarded as waste. The Helping Whittlesey Community Food Pantry was established by Anna Foster, a local resident, in 2023. It consistently receives surplus food and vegetable donations from supermarkets across the region. The service operates four days each week from an outbuilding situated at The Falcon hotel on London Road, assisting around 150 individuals weekly with the support of 24 volunteers who sustain its operations. Ms. Foster stated that the pantry, which is accessible to “anyone and everyone,” is expanding and improving, and she expresses pride in its progress to date. She mentioned that the concept for the initiative originated with her husband, who works for an environmental organisation in Peterborough and observes significant food wastage. Ms. Foster believes this marks the inaugural project of its kind in Whittlesey. She elaborated on the pantry’s mission, stating: “It’s for anyone and everyone. But we are not a food bank. There is a functioning foodbank in town for those who need it. But anyone in need of food are welcomed here as well. We say – if you can use it, take it. We just want to save the environment and use perfectly edible food and reduce waste.” This week, the pantry obtained an uncommon delivery of more than 200 frozen pizzas from a Peterborough food basket initiative managed by the Children’s charity Barnardo’s. Regarding the storage challenge, Ms. Foster commented: “We operate from a small outbuilding so freezer space can be tight. Sometimes our volunteers offer their personal freezers as well. We are hoping to support some charities this Christmas with their party food so these Pizzas can come in use for that as well.” The pantry secured financial support from Peterborough Environment City Trust or Pect. The service has recently extended its reach to include two additional locations, one of which is in the village of Coates. It also maintains a school cabin at a Coates school, providing books and toys for children in need, and supplies bread donations to a youth group. This year, Ms. Foster added, more than 200 children are also slated to receive Christmas presents. Ms. Foster affirmed the pantry’s future plans, stating: “We are absolutely going to continue doing what we are doing. We are growing bigger and better.” Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.