The idea
If NCS had a refrigerated van we could dramatically increase our fresh and chilled produce collections to meet the growing need in Northwich. Currently we have a small army of 50 unpaid volunteers who will fold down their vehicle seats and operate like a little tardis and cram in as much produce as they can. This means it takes us a multiple trips and a very long time to get produce to our hubs. In some cases, for food safety and logistical reasons, we have to reject produce that is very much needed in Northwich. Sometimes our hubs run short of produce meaning some needy people leave empty handed. Produce we cannot collect is then often taken by other organisations who do have the logistics and moved out of the town or ends up in landfill. The ongoing running costs of a refrigerated van have been estimated and budgeted into the NCS finance plan for 3 years. We are seeking cover for two years of these estimated costs.
What we'll deliver
- NCS will increase the volume and variety of perishable produce to the people of Northwich
- Our existence will be made more visible and more people in need will access our food hubs
- Less food waste will go to land fill
- We will continue to comply with food hygiene throughout the year
Why it's a great idea
In the current climate of rising inflation, poverty and COVID recovery there are some simple solutions to help the Northwich community stretch their budgets.The NCS army of unpaid volunteers, use local and national contacts, to locate, collect and process surplus food, which would otherwise go to landfill and distribute it to our community via a small network of hubs.
Times are tough, but the people of Britain are proud. Foodbanks carry a stigma and are anecdotally 'for people on benefits' but we all know there are a people in the grey areas inbetween. We allow people to work with us as a no food waste initiative to reduce the towns carbon footprint and as a by product, make the weekly shop a bit easier to manage. Fruit and veg are often the first produce to be stock rotated and users of our hubs report a substantial increase in the consumption of fresh food items. Patrons are eating better, fresher food and stretching their food budget while reducing the towns carbon footprint.
Steps to get it done
- Define vehicle requirements, size specification, operating limitations and driver pool
- Identify suitable vehicle types
- Cost suitable vehicles
- Acquire vehicle
