Lidl Abingdon

The Food Rescue Group, Abingdon, Didcot and Nuneham Courtenay was co-founded by Iman Satti and Ghazala Mirza, whose early contributions helped establish the group and shape its purpose within the local community. At its heart, the group is focused on tackling food waste, a major source of unnecessary resource loss and methane emissions from landfill. By rescuing surplus food and sharing it with individuals and families, the group reduces environmental impact while supporting people across Abingdon. The group works closely with local producers and retailers to ensure good food is used rather than discarded. These partnerships help businesses reduce waste and disposal costs, while creating positive environmental and social outcomes for the community. Pickup and distribution in Abingdon, Didcot and Nuneham Courtenay are coordinated by Madhvi Saini, Iman Satti, and Ghazala Mirza. Together, they manage volunteer scheduling, oversee collections, and ensure rescued food is delivered promptly, safely, and to where it is needed most. Their shared leadership helps keep operations efficient, inclusive, and closely aligned with the group’s values. The work is powered by volunteers from local universities, schools, and community groups, who collect and distribute food soon after pickup to maintain freshness and high safety standards. Any food that cannot be shared is disposed of responsibly to minimise environmental harm. Coordination takes place through a dedicated WhatsApp group, allowing volunteers to stay connected and respond quickly to collections. By diverting surplus food from landfill, the Food Rescue Group, Abingdon, Didcot and Nuneham Courtenay is reducing greenhouse gas emissions, conserving valuable resources, and strengthening local connections. As the group continues to grow, it remains committed to building a more caring, sustainable, and inclusive community, one meal, one volunteer, and one neighbourhood at a time.

Oxford Mutual Aid is a volunteer led organisation network. Formed in response to covid-19, our core focus is helping those who, for whatever reason, struggle to access help through existing agencies. We work with a range of charities, local government, and other community groups to get help to those who need it. Mutual Aid is about solidarity rather than charity - though we work alongside many wonderful charities. Many of our volunteers also receive aid through the organisation, and we work hard to reduce the stigma around asking for support. If we can safely offer people assistance, we do so, and without any means testing. We are currently supporting around 250 households per week. We also deliver around 700 reheatable meals to people who do not have access to cooking facilities, to food insecure families in and around oxford as well as to people who are homeless. We also provide support to existing organisations including Oxford Gatehouse, Oxford Community Action, Oxford Homeless Movement, Refugee Resource, African Families in the UK and others. We have also produced over 500 washable masks for key workers and care homes, as well as providing over 1500 meals to NHS workers.

Abingdon Community Fridge was founded in July of 2019. We aim to help reduce food waste through education and collection/redistribution of surplus food from restaurants and other food businesses Please visit our Facebook page for more information/updates on our opening times.