GAIL's Bakery Altrincham

Community in Action supports our neighbourhood by reducing food waste, sharing surplus, and promoting wellbeing. We aim to build connection, care for each other, and make our community stronger through practical help and learning. About Us Who we are Community in Action is a grassroots, volunteer-led initiative based in Brooklands. We work together to rescue good surplus food from supermarkets and share it with local people and community centres. Our vision is simple: a neighbourhood where food is not wasted, and everyone feels supported and connected, not just with food, but with emotional and practical care. We’re not a charity or a business, just neighbours taking action for each other, with love and purpose. What We Do Supermarket Surplus Collections We collect surplus food from local supermarkets, fresh fruit and veg, bakery goods, tins, dairy and more, that would otherwise go to waste. Redistribution We share this food directly with local community centres, families, and individuals. We also host local food sharing tables where anyone is welcome. Free Well-Being Training and Support In addition to food, we offer free well-being support to anyone in our network. This includes: • Drop-in listening spaces • Group support sessions • Training in emotional resilience, self-care, and compassionate communication We believe food feeds the body, and connection feeds the heart. Community Support Whether it’s helping a youth group, supporting a women’s circle, or offering care during difficult times, we show up with warmth and respect. No forms, no judgment , just neighbour-to-neighbour kindness. What People Say “We’re really grateful for what you do to support the centre in providing much needed food for the community, and it all goes really quickly.” — Community Centre Manager “The well-being session really helped me feel less alone. It gave me something to hold onto.” — Workshop participant

Copperdale provides a regular and reliable Food Route service for all people suffering hardship and poverty in the Manchester area. We make no charge for this service. We have two vehicles on the road providing this service 7 days a week. Local people are involved at every stage of the process from pickup to distribution helping to provide local autonomy, greater self worth and just as importantly making sure the food goes exactly to the places it is most needed. We work with 50 plus families and individuals on a weekly basis which amounts to about 300 people a week. We own a 10 bedroom hostel and a community activity centre based at the heart of Wythenshawe. Our premises are EHO Registered and have a 5 Food Standard Rating. Copperdale was responsible for introducing the very first Fare Share Scheme into Manchester in 1996 which we ran independently for 10 years before passing the project over to Emerge in 2006. We have received many community awards including the overall Pride of Britain Award, the Pride of Manchester Award and more recently the Life Time Achievement Award.

The project is an environmentally focused food surplus redistribution initiative operating across South Manchester. The project's primary purpose is to prevent food waste by redistributing good-quality surplus food that would otherwise go to landfill, delivering clear environmental benefits while also supporting good-quality surplus food that would otherwise go to landfill, delivering clear environmental benefits while also supporting the wider community during the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. The initiative operates on an open and inclusive basis, with no referral requirements, assessments or eligibility criteria. Food is shared openly to ensure surplus is used efficiently and responsibly, regardless of background or circumstances. This is non-discriminatory approach allows the project to remain focused on waste prevention while offering practical support to anyone seeking to reduce food waste and household food costs. The project is supported by volunteers from all walks of life, including professionals and warm-hearted local parents, who work together to collect, sort and redistribute surplus food. This diverse volunteer base reflects the community-led nature of the initiative and supports its ongoing operation. All food is redistributed free of charge. The project does not charge for its services and does not operate as a commercial or profit-making model.