Sharing Not Wasting food, space, time and skills!

Aim

Launch new Social Pantry and develop our team and systems to support our community to meet in person to share food, skills, time and more!

What is Potential Space?

At Potential Space, we believe that everyone deserves 

'a breather' - somewhere to let off steam, dream, slow down for a cuppa with people who care...In a place that feels safe, where we can be playful and heal creatively, support each other and share resources to make life easier for everyone.

Founded in February 2024, we run a community wellbeing space underneath Belper's eco co-operative - Eartharmony. We have a long lease until December 2030, so we've used grant money, directors' loans,  and donations to remodel and improve our premises to create a calm,low stimulus environment to meet the sensory needs of sensitive/ neurodiverse individuals as well as the wider community.

We hire our therapy rooms to local charities and practitioners and host projects providing affordable psychological and holistic therapies; with earth care, creative expression and practical action our focus areas for planetary health.

Human well-being and our long-term survival is closely linked to the health of the Earth's ecosystems, and we believe that protecting and sharing local resources can make a huge difference to the lives of our most vulnerable community members.

Over half (53%) of food-insecure households are forced to cut back on fruit, and 40% are cutting back on vegetables. [foodfoundation.org.uk]

With research highligting the importance of these nutrients for physical and mental health, we decided to revive the 'Sharing not Wasting ' project first started by Sue MacFarlane in 2018.

• We have joined Fareshare Midlands- a charity redistributing quality surplus food. Our first sharing event will take place on Wednesday 22nd July 4-6pm from 2 Queen Street, Belper. 
  • Community members can fill a bag of food for a fixed price of £5. 
  • Individuals can choose from a variety of fruit and veg, frozen and chilled vegan and vegetarian items and pantry products. This will provide affordable access to nutritious food while reducing food waste and easing financial pressures.
• Alongside the pantry, donated household items are already gifted free of charge to those who need them through our 'Belper Recycling' Facebook page, started in 2020. This helps people furnish their homes, reduce essential living costs, and keep reusable items out of landfill. We are raising funds to develop a website based platform to make this fairer for everyone, as people who don't use Facebook are excluded from this opportunity for practical support.
• We are also looking at adding a TimeBank element to our 'Sharing not Wasting' project, so members can also exchange skills, knowledge, and practical support using time rather than money. Every hour contributed earns an hour of help in return, strengthening social connections and creating opportunities for people to share their talents and save money.

Together, these initiatives will improve financial resilience by reducing household expenses... increasing access to essential resources, fostering stronger community networks while promoting sustainable consumption through reuse and waste reduction -while empowering community members to support one another. 

By combining practical assistance with community participation, our project saves people money, increases confidence and self worth, and creates a more resilient, inclusive, and environmentally responsible local community.

26 000 tonnes of food is wasted every day in the UK - and some of it never even makes it to a supermarket! [wrap.ngo]

We will be distributing surplus vegan and vegetarian food items to members of our 'Sharing not Wasting' pantry project - simply buy an annual membership as a reward here, or join here with a monthly Sharing membership:

https://eartharmony.online/products/monthly-sharing-membership

We are partnering with Eartharmony to offer earth-conscious friends the opportunity to access quality surplus food on Wednesday evenings, while also having a chance to do zero waste refills. Members of the Sharing Club can also enjoy pay what you feel hot drinks in the community cafe, along with opportunities to share time and skills with other community members at our community spaces.

Since 2018, the need for sustainable, community-led solutions has only grown. We see a unique opportunity to support earth-conscious working families who want to reduce their carbon footprint while managing the rising cost of living. By providing access to healthy, high-quality surplus food that would otherwise go to landfill, we are tackling two of the biggest challenges of our time: Climate Change and Financial Wellbeing.

A huge thanks to Florence Higley for supporting us with her filming talents, and local practitioners offering an amazing range of rewards for supporters.

If you would like to share our space and your talents/skills - please get in touch!

https://www.tiktok.com/@potential.space/video/7662555609673321750?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc 

 What this Crowdfunder Will Achieve:

Your donations will go towards:

• Core Running Costs for a year: Covering our overheads means that income and donations can go towards the maintenance and further improvements to our building.
• Fareshare membership for weekly deliveries for one year

•  Professional Refrigeration: To safely store and display fresh, healthy surplus      produce.

•Cafe Equipment: Creating a welcoming kitchen space for community meals and skill-sharing workshops.

• Salaries: With our core team's wages covered for one year, we will have capacity to develop ambitious and life-changing projects bringing together qualified professionals with community members waiting for much-needed support.

Join Us in Making a Difference

By supporting this appeal, you aren't just funding a Community Pantry - you are investing in a fairer, more sustainable and affordable future for Belper residents.

Every donation up to £250 could be doubled by the Aviva Community Fund, making your contribution go twice as far!

Let’s bring Sharing not Wasting back to life:

better, stronger, and more connected than ever!

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 7th October 2026 at 2:23am