ALDI MARCH

We provide accessible, affordable and safe transport and support services to people who have difficulties using conventional modes of transport or are socially isolated, and work with local authorities, and other charitable, voluntary and not-for-profit organisations for the benefit of the individuals and groups in community, across the fenland, huntingdonshire and east cambridgeshire areas. Following Covid-19 we have worked tirelessly with the community delivering shopping & medication to those that are shielding or vulnerable. In addition to this we are working with PECT to set up the Community Fridge this will be located within the FACT Community Hub. It will be managed by volunteers. A communty fridge will provide fresh produce kindly donated by local supermarkets, restaurants, farms etc. This will help cut down food waste and hopefully inspire people to share food, ideas with neighbours and friends. The idea of a community fridge encourages communities to come together which builds trust, improves lives and strengthens the community as a whole. We have a launch of the fridge on March 1st 2021. If you are able to donate fresh produce to FACT Community Fridge please contact me at hub@cotransport.org and we can arrange collection.

Helping Whittlesey is a Facebook group that has been running for the last 7 years and has 2.6k members. We became a registered charity in 2023. We help support the community with things ranging from helping people get back on their feet with furniture donations, Christmas toy appeals, rallying around when people are struggling to buy food etc. It's very community based and it's what Whittlesey does best! Working in the recycling sector, we became aware of just how much gets good stuff gets thrown away. Not just food, but furniture to. We decided to make it official and help do our part for the environment. Visiting other community fridges & pantry's to get an idea on the set up and what we would need to do, we know that the Pantry would be a huge asset to our town. From the Facebook page and the anonymous posting, we know that people are sometimes embarrassed about accessing a food bank, but also there are also people who want to help the environment and reduce how much gets thrown away. We needed a venue first! We approached Colin at The Falcon Hotel in Whittlesey, who has let us use his outside storage area. From July 23, with the support from our community in donations, time and trade skills and then securing funding from The Postcode Lottery & Fenland District Council through PECT (Peterborough based environment and sustainability organisations) we have transformed the unit into The Helping Whittlesey Community Pantry. In our first year of opening, we have collected on average 2.5 tonne of food and flowers a month and re distributed it back into the community and helped local good causes. We have also been working with the communities service team for Fenland council as part of their 'closer to communities' commitment, and health professionals such as the social prescribing link worker from Jenner healthcare. This joined approach offers a valuable co-ordinated resource to the community, while also complementing existing community resources and linking to a network of social prescribers. Our aim is that the Community Pantry is exclusive to all in the local community and food that is still usable will be available for anyone to access. We are also working with local people who work with the vulnerable and the youth, to how we can help them with surplus food we receive. We have a donation tin, if people wish to donate to go towards the utility bill they can, but it's not compulsory. As we speak, we are in the process of looking to set up a repair shop, where local skilled craftspeople & tradespeople can put their skills to good use and stop household items going to landfill and re distributing them back into the community.

Families In Needs wecollect food surplus for help up to 10 - 20 families a week. We opened during the pandemic and had previously been helping through other charities. All of our services are free to all services users.