Community Fridge in Worthing set to expand in the new year to daily from weekly

The fridge is currently open on Friday afternoons at the WSK Hub Café in Tarring Road, where surplus food is shared out to save it from landfill and raise money for the charity.

It has been running successfully since May, having launched before the café opened 12 weeks ago, and it is open to anyone.

Khristina McCormack, founder, said: "A Community Fridge is a place where surplus food fills bellies not bins, which we here at SHOUT WSK feel strongly about. Items are donated to us and we then pass them to our local community.

"All are welcome. People can make their own choice and we ask that they take only what they need so there is enough to go around."

Tickets are handed out in the café by way of a queuing system and two people at a time use the community fridge, filling their own bags with food of their choice for a minimum donation of £3.50.

Various supermarkets donate surplus food and Khristina also uses FareShare, so fresh fruit and vegetables are available.

The aim is to expand the offering in the new year in an additional premises nearby, where part will be used as a pantry and part as a charity shop to help raise money.

Southern Housing has offered funding for a year so the charity can have its own dedicated space, following the ending of the WSK Foodbank & Parcels project at The Lovett Hub in Maybridge Square due to demand on space there.

Khristina said: "We have ended our run at the Food Parcels project at The Lovett Hub with immediate effect. We had been there for four years and we never expected to be there so long. What started as a small project to help local families out during the lockdown took on a life of its own and grew bigger and better, and was able to help so many families.

"We are incredibly proud of our achievements and the amazing volunteers who turned up week on, week out to collect food, create food parcels and set up the weekly foodbank, and of course the special family events.

"We are excited that from the new year, Worthing Soup Kitchen Food Parcels will be taking up a new permanent home in Tarring Road. We will be creating a pantry which will be open daily, rather than just Saturdays at the foodbank, and you will be able to access the great produce at the Community Fridge."

The fridge is currently open from 3.30pm to 5.30pm on Fridays. It will be moved over to the new premises when it is ready and is expected to be opening there in January or February.

Khristina said: "People do not have to give names but they are asked how many adults and children are in the households. Anyone can come because the idea is to save food from landfill."

WSK will be hosting a free Christmas Day meal at the Pavilion Atrium from 1.30pm to 3.30pm. Everybody is welcome and can choose to stay or take away. Telephone 07984766375 or email [email protected] to book.

Another event in the offing is a Bar the Bar tapas night, giving families who have a member in recovery a safe space to go out to for the evening and enjoy non-alcoholic mocktails.