Community fridge to reopen at Salvation Army in North Walsham
published on 16 May 2024
North Walsham’s Community Fridge is set to re-open in June at The Salvation Army in Hall Road.
The fridge enables people and businesses in the town to donate surplus refrigerated and non-perishable food which would otherwise be thrown away, saving it from landfill. Local residents can then come and collect it.
The Salvation Army is hosting the fridge, but this is a joint venture of North Walsham Churches Together, and volunteers from all the local Churches will be lending a helping hand.
Territorial Envoy Ruth Morey leads The Salvation Army in North Walsham and believes the community fridge addresses a number of issues.
She said: “Food waste is a big issue in The UK, and the average family throws away nearly £500 worth of food every year – yet 4 million people live in food poverty. The community fridge stops food from being thrown in the bin or going to landfill.
“We hope that through the fridge, as with our charity shop, we will build relationships with people in the community. There are no criteria as to who can use it. We ask people to take what they need for today and tomorrow and that way there is honesty and fairness for everybody.
“People may come in for food, but they may have other issues which we can help with. We find that people are particularly isolated since the Covid lockdowns. There is a real need for fellowship, and we hope to meet that need. We hold a lunch club and a coffee morning each week, and there are similar events in other churches. We are simply looking to offer a hand of love and friendship. ”
At the end of May, The Salvation Army is holding a fundraising concert, and the Morriston ED Choir will be performing Music from Stage and Screen with soloists and The Salvation Army Community Band to raise funds for the Community Fridge.
The concert is taking place on 31 May from 7pm at St Nicholas Parish Church in the centre of the town. Tickets are £5 and are available from The Salvation Army Hall or by emailing ruth.morey@salvationarmy.org.uk.
The community fridge is expected be open from 9.30am to 12.30pm on Monday and Thursday, beginning on 3 June. Ruth said she wanted to thank everyone for their continued support of the scheme, especially Lidl and Sainsburys in the town.
