ALDI POOLE - FLEETS LN

The average UK family wastes £810 a year by throwing away food and drink, and £3 billion is wasted by food sectors. Community Fridges help tackle food waste by redistributing food from households and businesses to the community. Branksome Community Fridge is located in Branksome Library and Rossmore Community Fridge is located in Rossmore Library, both in Poole and are run by a team of community minded volunteers. It serves the people of Branksome by providing good quality food that would otherwise have been thrown away.

Creating community resilience is our mission and passion. We support the local and regional community, whether through financial, social or practical means. We believe that a community and a person thrives when connected, supported and cared for. Our support services include: a community larder and food bank, baby, pet, and hygiene bank, benefits and welfare advice service, free community café and stay and play sessions, befriending, shopping for housebound/disabled, a uk first and only medicine bank, and numerous community events for all such as our Easter and Christmas trails. Our wonderful pool of just under 100 dedicated volunteers enable our community to thrive and many friendships and support networks to form.

The overall aim of Poole Community Exchange is to meet the needs of people who are socially excluded and disadvantaged in society by offering facilities and services, including advice and signposting to specialist help, which will help them integrate into society and thrive, not just survive. We operate a unique ‘exchange’ model which comes from our belief that everyone has needs and everyone has something to offer. Our ‘strapline is “Take what you need: Give what you can”. Whether people need food, a warm space or somewhere they are accepted and whether people give time, skills, money or food supplies, we believe that everyone benefits by involvement. We have two core projects: • Poole Pantry, which is a membership-based community pantry. • The Community Living Room, which is a warm welcoming space with refreshments and leisure activities. WiFi and recharging points are available. We are a satellite for Poole Food Bank, providing emergency food parcels. Poole Pantry is for anyone struggling make ends meet, to help them eat a balanced and nutritional diet. Members can shop weekly for 10 items or less from a range of food including chilled, fresh and frozen as well as tins etc. We ask for a suggested donation of £5 towards our costs. The Community Living Room is open to all. We offer a range of hot drinks and cake as well as a healthy, hot 2 course lunch. We ask for a suggested donation with a reduction for pantry members. People struggling with money can eat for free. Current activities include games, colouring, Knit and Natter, an art group and Tai Chi. Gardening is also available. We ask people to donate what they can afford to help cover costs. The volunteer chef who cooks the lunches also provides lessons for people who lack skills or confidence, or who want to gain additional skills to help with employment and self-employment. We also offer additional support services including education and training and advice and guidance though various partners including Citizens Advice Bureau Urban Advice Vehicle, Chaplains from the Borough of Poole Chaplaincy Team, Tricuro COAST, SMILE, WISEability and others.