Generous residents ensure community fridge in Fordingbridge stocked up during crisis

The community fridge, which was set up by Fordingbridge Greener Living in January, is currently located in The Branch on High Street after having to temporarily move from its home in the town’s library. A freezer has also arrived.

More than £600 has been raised after a GoFundMe page was set up, which will be used to fill the fridge and freezer with food.

Wendy Reid, of Fordingbridge Greener Living said: “Fordingbridge Greener Living has been working in collaboration with Fordingbridge Library, Fordingbridge Coop and The Gourmet Grocer to offer food to vulnerable people since January. The food that was donated by the Coop was food that had reached its ‘best before’ date, which helped us to reduce waste while helping people in need. However, the Coop had not been able to offer us any food recently because of an increase in demand in store and then Fordingbridge Library was closed. There was no food and no open fridge.

Jo Williams at The Branch approached us to offer its venue to temporarily house the fridge until the library could open once more. But, we still had the issue of food at a time when demand for support was increasing due to hardship as a result of the virus. Nicky Williams, one of the team at The Branch offered to set up a fundraising page to see if we could raise £500 to buy essential chilled foods and meals to people in need. Within two days of setting the page up we had surpassed our target. In addition to this financial input, Clare and Gareth Johnson at The Gourmet Grocer also donated food to put into the fridge.”

Nicky Williams from The Branch added: “We can see the real need from what the foodbank is telling us, our contacts from local schools and also the organisation Fordingbridge in Need.

Fordingbridge Greener Living, Fordingbridge In Need and The Branch are working closely together during the crisis.

They have thanked everyone for the donations to support the fundraising appeal.