WESTBURY Town Council is backing Wiltshire Wildlife Trust in their aim to have a Community Fridge in Westbury. They have agreed to set up a group to support the initiative.
Nearby Frome set up a popular community fridge in 2016, which has provided a blueprint for other towns and has been featured on TV. Wiltshire Wildlife Trust (WWT) is planning to set up the same initiative in Westbury, hoping to save at least 1 tonne of wasted food a year, and to help alleviate food poverty in the town.
During a full meeting of Westbury Town Council on Monday 3rd September, it was agreed that a ‘task & finish’ group be set up, working with community partners such as Crosspoint, to support a community fridge initiative in Westbury.
During community events around the town, the waste education team at WWT have signed up 37 residents who support the idea of bringing a Community Fridge to Westbury. Seven people have already signed up to say they’d like to be more involved and volunteer on the project.
Wiltshire Wildlife Trust’s waste education team said, “Community Fridges are one tried and tested way of stopping good food ending up in the bin. They’re housed in public, accessible places, making surplus perishable food freely available to members of the public.
“Surplus food is provided by local businesses or members of the public and is then available for collection by people who need it. They work on an honesty basis.”
A couple of possible locations have been suggested for the Fridge including the toilet block in Warminster Road car park, the surplus red phone box opposite the library, or the future Community Hub adjacent to Westbury Infants School.
The newly-approved group will now investigate and decide on a suitable location that is secure, dry, publicly-accessible and has an electricity supply.
WWT has scheduled a timeline for completion of the project and hope to open and promote the Community Fridge in Westbury by next month.
For more information about how you can get involved, or more about the scheme, contact the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust’s waste team on 01380 736077 or email rethinkrubbish@ wiltshirewildlife.org.
