Norwich FoodHub

by Norwich FoodHub in Norwich, England, United Kingdom

Norwich FoodHub
We did it
On 25th April 2017 we successfully raised £3,062 with 46 supporters in 56 days

We want to improve our operations to save even more food from being wasted and help as many people in Norwich as we can.

by Norwich FoodHub in Norwich, England, United Kingdom

 New stretch target

We are looking to move from our current units at Monastery Court Car Park, provided to us by Norwich City Council, to a larger facility with access to water and electricity on site, which we do not currently have. 

We have identified a number of potential sites that could be available to us under legislation such as the community asset transfer policy and the community right to build in the Localism Act, which allows community groups to take over publicly held assets and run them for the benefit of the community, however to follow up with this we will need additional funding for planning, delivery and subsequently to run the project out of the space. 

Having  a space capable of storing vast quantities of food would open up the possibility of obtaining food surpluses generated in manufacturing, which are approximately 8 times higher than those generated by retailers, whilst with access to water and electric we would also be able to collect chilled and frozen goods, giving us access to a much larger variety of food and better food management capabilties.

This development would provide a base from which we would be able to expand our coverage significantly, supplying food to many more groups helping people in food poverty, as well as the possibility of opening a Pay-As-You-Feel store, as part of our continued efforts to make sure that nobody goes hungry whilst good food is thrown away needlessly.

Who Are We? 
Norwich FoodHub is a not for profit project run by a dedicated team of volunteers. We collect food surplus from retailers, sort and store it, then redistribute to organisations helping people in food poverty. Our impact is two-fold, reducing the environmental cost of food waste and softening the social impact felt by those living in food poverty. 
Our Impact
Since May 2016 our volunteers have collected over 9 tonnes of food that would otherwise have gone to waste, this includes enough fruit and veg for 30 people to have received their 5-a-day, every day, since we began. This has been collected from Waitrose, M&S, Greggs and Tesco and has directly supported over 200 people each week through our redistribution partnerships with Leeway Domestic Violence & Abuse Services, Orwell Hinde House, St Martins Housing Trust, Norwich FoodBank, Anon Street Team, The Sunday Social and New Routes.   
What We're Going To Do
The aim of our project is to save as much food as possible from being wasted at production, retail and wholesale level in Norwich, so that we can support every organisation helping people that are struggling to feed themselves and their families in our city. 

We recognise this will take time, but we have a plan...
How We're Going To Do It
We have plans to expand beyond our current unit, but until that happens we need to maximise what we already have at Monastery Court Car Park to make it a more comfortable place for our volunteers to be and ensure that there is always someone on hand to meet them after collections. 
Improving Our Space
This will mean making improvements to the structure of one of the units which is currently used for equipment storage, by fixing the doors so that we are able to use it for safe storage of food. We will also purchase some extra fixtures and fittings to make the space lighter and safer, as well as some equipment that will assist us in our efforts. 
Improving our Service
To manage more food we're going to create a part-time role in managing our unit, volunteers, and our relationships with partner organisations. This will mean that someone is always on hand to meet volunteers after collections have been made, as well as allowing us to focus on developing new partnerships with supermarkets, wholesalers and groups that could receive the food. Part of the funds raised will go towards the costs involved and of course we will be a living wage employer. 

Rewards

This project offers rewards in return for your donation. Please select a reward below.

£5 or more

2 of 100 claimed

£5 Reward

Super smoothie! We will pedal you up a super smoothie using our unique smoothie bike when we are next outside The Forum for The One Planet Norwich Festival on Saturday the 6th of May.

£10 or more

£10 Reward

Norwich FoodHub tote bag! Save plastic waste with this cotton tote bag! Check out the update tab for photos!

£10 or more

£10 Reward

FoodHub Tee! Tell everyone you want to Save Food and Fight Hunger with this T-Shirt! Check out the update tab for photos!

£18 or more

£18 Reward

FoodHub tote AND FoodHub Tee! Show you really love FoodHub with this combined perk! Check out the update tab for photos!

£20 or more

£20 Reward

Re-usable Cup! With this pledge we will ensure that you never have to waste any disposable coffee cups ever again! You will receive your very own Norwich FoodHub Cup to keep and re-use as much as you like.

£150 or more

0 of 2 claimed

£150 Reward

FoodHub G&T and champagne cruise! Just relax whilst meandering along the river Yare from River Green Thorpe St Andrew to Surlingham Broad. Experience quiet hidden backwater channels and the serene beauty of this Broad whilst sipping your included gin and glass of champagne with an optional pub stop at Water's Edge. (trip approx 3 hrs). The boat has space for 4-5 people plus our captain. Check out the update tab for a photo!

£500 or more

1 of 3 claimed

£500 Reward

Prepay for Swing Dance Fundraiser tickets.

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