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!
