Bringing communities together with food this Christmas  

As a Co-op Member, it makes me feel so proud that I’m helping to launch and support local projects like Hubbub’s community fridges just by shopping at Co-op.  

To know that every time I swipe my Co-op membership card, money is donated to the Community Partnership Fund to fund over 100 community fridges across the UK in 2021, like the one at Failsworth Academy, is just amazing. The Co-op are now going even further, committing to supporting another 250 Community Fridges by December 2023. 

For me, without even thinking about it, I know that just by buying bread and milk or treats for the weekend at Co-op, I’m contributing a little bit of money to fund a much bigger project.  

It’s a fantastic feeling to know that just by buying great Co-op products I’m giving something back by helping people who are a little less fortunate - whether that’s in my own community or somewhere else across the UK.   

I’ve been learning more about the Community Fridge in Failsworth which opened earlier this year and is a real community hub. It’s a Co-op Academy school and a multi-partnership sports campus with a gym and swimming pool, so it reaches out to a lot of local people.  

Community Fridges are for everybody. Where anyone can share food, time or experience I think it’s really helping to break down misperceptions around access to food as you could be coming to try and make sure all food is used well, to meet new people or to share your hidden culinary talents with others in the community. 

I learned about how the staff, students and volunteers who run the fridge are always quick to say thank you for donations and will let people know the kind of products that people in the community are looking for. They will even have conversations around making the most of the food in an effort to reduce waste too.  

At this time of year, it’s nice hear that people in the community are bringing some festive goodies too, such as selection boxes and advent calendars. It’s great to know that people in their community are putting a smile on the face of a child who otherwise may not have had one.   

It’s really opened my eyes that the smallest thing for me to do can make such a difference to someone, so it’s great to know that I can support Community Fridges in many different ways – including by volunteering, sharing food and applying for funding to set up a fridge.  

I’d love to see a Community Fridge in my hometown of Middleton, so it’s brilliant that I can influence decision makers at Co-op by suggesting a local organisation that I feel would really benefit from hosting a Community Fridge simply by completing an online application form.  

Since learning more about Community Fridges, I will be making more of a conscious effort to support where I can, by sharing fresh food and continuing to swipe my Co-op Membership card when I do my shop.   

The more that members like myself can do to spread the word and get involved the better, and it’s all thanks to the millions of Co-op Members across the UK who are shopping at Co-op to make the money that’s making such a difference. Communities like Failsworth and hundreds more across the UK are thriving because of projects like this, and it’s just amazing.