Lidl Connahs Quay

We have two main priorities, waste reduction and anti poverty so we tackle poverty sustainably, reducing single use waste and preventing unnecessary items from entering landfill. We are passionate about our environment and we are passionate about people. We provide reusable sanitary products to eliminate period poverty for the recipients, with products lasting for upwards of a decade. We currently cover Flintshire & Wrexham. We collect and deliver fresh, nutritious food from store to door, 7 days a week; tackling in work poverty, hunger, food waste and malnutrition. Christmas Eve 2023 saw us provide food to over 26,000 people; using surplus food that would have perished in warehouses during the holiday store closures. Between 24-31st December 2023, we redistributed over 110 tonnes of surplus food! We collect, restore and redistribute baby essentials to those unable to afford them. We support and enable the use of reusable nappies for all, providing them for free for those in need, for as long as required. We currently actively cover Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham but support can be accessed from residents of bordering counties. We impose no criteria as we believe it takes a significant amount of pride swallowing to ask for help. We enable beneficiaries to retain their dignity by providing whichever service is required anonymously. We’re not too sure if we’re innovators or a bit bonkers but it works! History: Wrexham Nappy Library was born in November 2015 to aid and enable the use of real nappies for people in need in the Wrexham County. This began with free trials of a variety of types of nappy with full support and guidance. Within a short period of time, newer versions of brands were released. Now, it is essential to keep trial kits up to date. As a result, we were left with a huge surplus of obsolete but perfectly functional nappies which we decided to offer to struggling families for as long as they needed, free of charge, with the simple request that upon cessation of use, they're returned to benefit another family. We began tackling period poverty in 2016, initially by adding menstrual cups to long term loan kits but quickly revised our methods and make them available to all. We commenced food deliveries in 2017 to tackle hunger discreetly, and to divert food waste from landfill. We also get infrequent donations of baby clothes and goods which are passed on for free to families who need them - returns of these items are not requested, instead we politely ask the families to pay them forward.

We are based in Connah's Quay, Deeside in a newly renovated church and community hub. We host a weekly Community Grocery (where those attending can take 10 items for £3) and a coffee shop on Friday mornings and a Mix and Mingle on a Friday afternoon. We also host conversational English classes helping people from Europe, Asia and the Middle East. We have good links with the local primary school and are developing links with the art department at the local High School who we hope will produce art from us. We have made links with the community through our pioneer missioner, our church work and our links with other faith and community groups. We rely on food supplies from Neighbourly and particularly on donations of dry goods, cans, and cereals which are often donated by individuals as part of their weekly shop. We have partnered with one of the women attending the community hub to run our Instagram page (@QuaystoneHub) and communicate our work through her Facebook.

The Buckley Community Fridge project involves the setting up of a Community Fridge which is more than just a response to food poverty in that it also aims to reduce food waste and promote a more cohesive community spirit by sharing excess food. A Community Fridge differs from the food bank as it is open to all. Currently open on a Thursday morning from 10-11.30am. Buckley Community Fridge collective has members from the churches in the town, local councillors, and concerned individuals who have committed themselves to set up and deliver the project. The collective has the support of Buckley Town Council who have granted them the use of a suite of rooms on the right hand side of the old library building . The Community Fridge will be open twice a week and staffed by volunteers will have completed a food safety course and any other appropriate training. The rooms will be registered with Flintshire County Council as a food business and therefore be given a food safety rating. Appropriate public liability insurance will be put in place. The rooms will be equipped with a lockable fridge and freezer and furnished with secure storage, as well as tables and chairs for use when open to the public. The collective is registered with the Community Fridge Network, and now has an agreed constitution and a working committee. The collective is also appealing to the community for donations towards its work and for volunteers to come forward.