M&S Monmouth

Ross Community Garden is a vibrant, social and therapeutic space set in a 3-acre site in the heart of Ross. We offer a supportive environment with a special focus on individuals facing mental health challenges, learning disabilities or long-term unemployment. As well as indoor and outdoor growing areas, the Garden has several features designed to support biodiversity, including a pond, insect houses, bee hives, wood piles and two dry hedges. Zero Waste is one of the projects within the Community Garden in Ross-on-Wye. We started in November 2020 and have been open on Mondays - Saturdays every since. We collect waste from the supermarkets in the town (Aldi, Sainsbury's and Co-op) and give the food out to our service users. The food is given out free of charge as we aim to provide fresh food that improves diet and also help household budgets stretch further allowing users to access help without stigma. We also work in partnership with Fareshare. The Zero Waste is known and respected in the community. Our work has been recognised with a community partner award by Morrisons, has been featured in the county's newspaper as an leading example of efforts to reduce food waste, has received grants and supports from several local businesses and Ross Lions and has even been featured on an episode of 'Escape to the Country'. The Community Gardens also run other services such as a school uniform bank, a primary school's programme to educate about growing food, family support and gardening and mentoring services. We run occasional cookery clubs.

Run a community fridge with collections of surplus food from local supermarkets. The fridge is open 6 days a week 9- 11.30 (closed Monday). Also distribute ambient food to local establishments when there is an excess at the fridge. Run summer food projects to supply a healthy lunches using surplus and bought food.

We help families to top up there food shopping each week that are struggling in the current finicial crisis are aim is to help more people