ALDI LEWES

The Real Junk Food Project intercepts this perfectly edible food from local businesses and supermarkets before it is thrown away, turning it into healthy meals to serve to the community on a Pay as You Feel basis. The Pay As You Feel concept invites people to exchange not just their money, but ideas, time and creativity for a meal.

Moulsecoomb Community Market (based on the social supermarket model) is about giving people some dignity and choice about what food they eat as well as providing access to a more varied and healthier diet. People are asked to pay a very small, nominal feel for membership and that entitles them to choose a fixed number of items that are coloured coded according to cost and/or availability. This is what residents wanted, when we asked them. We are not in competition with the local shops, we are not in competition with supermarkets, we are a community led group that aims to make life a little easier for the people that are struggling the most... Moulsecoomb is on the outskirts of Brighton a world away from the bright lights, the piers, the Lanes and the night life. It houses large estates and many people have lived here for years and have generations of their families living close by. It is a close knit and friendly community. However, it is very much part of the ‘other ‘ face of Brighton. Many people in the ward really struggle with the expense of day to day living and Moulsecoomb in particular has already been identified as being in the top 10% of the most deprived areas in Britain. Unemployment rates are high and health outcomes are well below the national average. There is mounting evidence of increasing poverty and hunger and the pandemic only served to highlight and exacerbate the huge divide between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’ in Brighton. We currently open once a week and aim to provide people with a selection of fresh, good quality fruit and vegetables, frozen food and basic cupboard items, as well as some household items. We ALWAYS have sanitary products that are free and can be taken in addition to any food chosen. We are always grateful for ANY food cupboard items, but would also welcome any personal hygiene items.

In October 221 a small team set up Uckfield Community Fridge on land near to the Foodbank and Luxford Field, backed and supported by the town council. The essence behind a community fridge is to fight food waste and support local people. It does this by collecting leftover food from businesses, then making it available to local residents and community groups free of charge. This includes individuals with limited access to affordable fresh and nutritious food. The project is a simple solution to wasting less and saving more. We liaised with local supermarkets regarding food donations and they have informed us of the desperate situation they have found people in, sometimes raiding supermarket bins for free food. Quite rightly they have expressed the health and safety issues with this. The community fridge would enable people access to this food without those unnecessary risks. Strict monitoring guidelines based on advice from the Food Standards Agency and the Council’s Environmental Health team ensure the fridge will operate to the highest quality standards. We are sure you are aware of the food poverty crisis and the particular impact of food poverty on children and their future. Universal credit payments have increased by 201% in our local area over the last year, and this is before the furlough scheme has ended. On a local social media group we have been aware of mothers pleading for help from strangers to pay for their children’s dinner. For people in need there is the foodbank, which offers emergency provision and should not be viewed as a long-term solution. For some there is a stigma tied to using foodbanks and people may be reluctant to make initial contact. Food parcels are nutritionally balanced and consist of tinned and dried foods. Foodbank use has increased year on year so there is clearly an on-going local need. We keep in touch with Uckfield Foodbank to complement each other’s work. However, the main difference is that Community Fridges are set up to be a longer-term feature of a community. They operate on a trust basis, are not means tested and are open to all. Community Fridges offer a source of fresh good quality food surplus for everyone. In many cases the most frequent items moving through the fridge are fruit and veg. Community fridges aim to bring people together to see good food be shared and eaten, instead of going to waste.