Folkestone Community Fridge - a new hub!

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Continuous
fundraising

Relocating to Dover Road, we’ll expand our community fridge, with a cafe, edible garden, and events—tackling food waste, supporting locals, and fostering connections in East Folkestone.

£10,285 Raised of £9,687

99 Backers

106%

Back this project

This project has reached its fundraising target. It has also activated Continuous Fundraising, which means you can still donate and support the project.

The idea

We are thrilled to be relocating to an inspiring new space on Dover Road, perfect for expanding our volunteer-run, community fridge and fostering connections within the vibrant East Folkestone area. This multifunctional hub will offer affordable light bites and drinks in our cafe, alongside fresh fruit, vegetables, and frozen meals to reduce food waste—a global issue we continue to tackle locally. With an edible garden designed to attract pollinators and hands-on family events, we aim to cultivate growth and community spirit. Collaborations with local businesses and charities will strengthen our impact, ensuring the surplus food we save supports schools, households, and individuals facing food poverty. Serving around 80 people a day, we are dedicated to providing a welcoming space where everyone can contribute, belong, and thrive. Stay for a coffee and a chat and be part of this exciting new chapter!

What we'll deliver

Reduce 5 tonnes of food waste per month
Deliver Seasonal cookery workshops
Recruit and train new volunteers in food hygiene standards

Why it's a great idea

- The new hub will enhance collaborations with local businesses and charities, amplifying support for schools, households, and individuals experiencing food poverty.
- With space to serve around 100 people daily, the relocation will offer a welcoming environment that encourages inclusivity and enhances community engagement.
- The café will provide affordable light bites and drinks, allowing for casual interactions and strengthening social connections within the community. Effectively reducing loneliness.
- Relocation will facilitate hands-on family events, fostering intergenerational participation and promoting community spirit.
- The edible garden will attract pollinators and promote environmental stewardship, while offering educational opportunities in biodiversity.

Steps to get it done

* Get the keys to our new premises
* Gather volunteers, community and trades people to renovate, paint, decorate
* Stock our shelves and spread the word
* Launch party
* Open Folkestone Community
* Continue to renovate and update the premises as money allows

Location

By Folkestone Community Fridge CIC

Folkestone Community Fridge CIC is a small environ... Learn More

about us

Partner donations

This project has
received funding from
Folkestone & Hythe District Council Fund

Updates

1 Donation worth £1022 hrs ago

1 Donation worth £52 weeks ago

More upgrades at Dover Road!2 months ago

We are closed until this Friday the 10th but we are still making progress behind the scenes. Today we tackled our flooring in the room leading out to our garden. Thank you to local business Elite Flooring it's looking a lot brighter and welcoming now :)

View all updates

Recent backers

Claire Storey - £10
22 hrs ago

Victoria Peart - £5
2 weeks ago Keep up the good work, you helped me when I really needed it and couldn’t afford to eat, this community fridge saved my life and I will be eternally grateful and happy to help any way I can.

Folkestone & Hythe Town Council - £2,450
2 months ago

View all backers

https://www.folkestonecommunityfridge.com/

Folkestone Community Fridge CIC is a small environmentally focused project based in Folkestone, Kent. We aim to reduce food waste and food loss at a local level. Our dedicated team of 42 fantastic volunteers collects surplus food from farms, supermarkets and restaurants. This food would otherwise go to landfill or be incinerated. We offer it to anyone who would like it in our local community instead.

We are open 5 days a week and share the food from our cosy village shop inspired space. We are aware that many who visit us are facing food poverty. Our emphasis remains on the fact that through choosing to use the Community fridge everyone can actively reduce food waste. Everyone is welcome and the food is free! No referrals or bookings are necessary. Our visitors regularly go through their home supplies to find products they just won't use and can offer to the community instead. During the growing seasons we receive home and allotment grown produce too. We've shared gluts of plums, figs and courgettes this year and are now firmly in apple season!

After three years operating from a shared corner of our local library, we are bursting at the seams and urgently need to relocate. We currently prevent up to 5 tonnes of food from going to waste each month and our running total is currently 140.7 tonnes saved from waste.

Nothing is wasted, any stale or wilted vegetables are taken to a choice of 6 small holdings, farms and sanctuaries to be used as animal feed. We compost everything else via three local allotments.

The space we have found will offer everything we need to support our current operations and provide room to grow. We need funding to relocate, renovate and cover rent for the first 12 months whilst we work to become self-sufficient. We aim to do this by opening a food waste café with an affordable menu and pay-it-forward scheme. We will rent our meeting space to businesses and collaborate with other community groups to reduce our overheads.

We are all motivated and excited to continue our success story and really need your help to achieve our goals!

Project Owner: Folkestone Community Fridge CIC The Project Owner takes legal responsibility for receiving and spending the funds raised and ensuring the project is delivered.