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Havens Food Cooperative, a food waste prevention and redistribution project, is proud to announce a remarkable milestone in its mission to combat food waste. The project has successfully redistributed surplus food with a total retail value of £1 million, marking a significant achievement in the ongoing battle against food waste and food insecurity for the project.

Since the creation of the project, in April 2020, collections have taken place daily to ensure that food is not wasted. The project collaborates with a total of 19 local stores across the Havens area (Saltdean - Seaford and including Lewes, Eastbourne and Brighton) collecting surplus food that would otherwise be discarded and instead redirecting this back into the community, with a focus on supporting those at risk of food insecurity. It is because of the local stores that are collaborating with the project and its 37 amazing volunteers that this milestone has been reached and the project hopes to continue providing an alternative means of food support to the community and preventing up to 3 tonnes of surplus from being wasted each week.

Havens Food Cooperative has not only prevented surplus food from ending up in landfill through operating a daily community pantry at their office in Denton, but has also distributed surplus to a network of local groups and organisations through their Pop-up Pantry Scheme, which is comprised of groups including foodbanks, schools, nurseries, emergency accommodation providers, other community projects and more. A total of 17 groups are participating in this scheme and receiving surplus food weekly to redistribute in their own settings and support their own members and communities.

As Havens Food Cooperative celebrates this milestone, they remain committed to their mission of fighting food waste and feeding the community and they are thrilled to announce that they have a matched funding opportunity running receiving donations in support of the project and allowing for its continuation and development. Through this crowdfunder donations are doubled at no extra cost to donors when using the link below:

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/million?fbclid=IwAR0PXC3WwmgMWZI63jlQeda18I5TotrLTasyenef1A0jgsrpP1rdD04ImBY

For more information about the project and how to get involved please contact: [email protected]

Food cooperative celebrates milestone: £1 million worth of surplus food redistributed