GAIL's Bakery Reigate

Merstham Community Facility Trust (MCFT) was created to meet the needs of the people in Merstham. We aim to SUPPORT, CONNECT, and EMPOWER our community. We aim to achieve this through working with an amazing team of staff and volunteers to run multiple projects, to bring people together and provide a shared, safe space for the community. The activities, events and projects undertaken by MCFT help to create opportunities, access, provision and shared understanding. We ensure we remain inclusive and authentic by consulting with our community to identify what the community would truly like to see available at the Merstham Hub and in the local area. Learn more about one of our project: MCFT set up a Community Fridge in April 2019 with the aim to reduce the large amount of food waste through the sharing of good quality food. It is a place where local people can share food including surplus from food businesses, producers, gardens… With a fridge, a freezer and a unit display at the Merstham Hub, we can store all kind of food safely. Through Neighbourly, our amazing team of volunteers will be able to collect food from local supermarkets that would have otherwise been wasted and allows it to be distributed, for free, amongst members of the community, in particular to those in need. This project is community led and runs on donations only. Anyone can visit and help themselves. Our Community Fridge brings people together, addresses social isolation and provides people with the opportunity to access healthy food, try something new and save money. In 2022, 2.5tons of food was saved from landfill and re-distributed to Merstham community.

The East Surrey Hospital Fridge is open to everyone! It is open for business 24/7 and is located at the east entrance to the hospital opposite the multi-faith chapel. What is a Community Fridge? Community Fridges are social sites for food education and sharing. They are housed in publicly accessible places – making fresh food that would otherwise be wasted freely available to the community. Surplus perishable food is collected by our volunteers from local businesses, and from our on-site produce stall, Three Arches Restaurant and supermarkets. Food is collected as regularly as possible and then made available to anyone in the community who would like it. Community Fridges exist to reduce food waste and foster a spirit of sharing and mutual support within a community. Our Community Fridge is open to EVERYONE! The community fridge is funded by SASH Charity thanks to a grant from the Community Foundation for Surrey. Find out more about the hospital charity at www.sashcharity.org or the Community Foundation for Surrey at https://www.cfsurrey.org.uk/ Thank you to all the local businesses who kindly donate food, and to our brilliant team of volunteers who look after the fridge. In the event of a problem, or to find out more about how you can help the hospital. Please contact sash.charity@nhs.net or call SASH Charity on 07966 235171

- General charitable purposes - The advancement of health or saving of lives - The prevention or relief of poverty - Economic/community development/employment - Children/young people - Elderly/old people - People with disabilities - Other charities or voluntary bodies - The general public/mankind - Provides human resources - Provides services - Provides advocacy/advice/information - Other charitable activities