The power of food: how Hubbub fridges are revolutionising cooking in the community

You might have seen our exciting ‘live ad’ on TV, where we showed the difference that our community fridges are making in neighbourhoods across the UK. Darius Nasimi has a first-hand view of how his local community has benefitted.  

Food has the power to unite people. Whether it’s around the kitchen table or as part of a huge celebration, it always brings us together. Co-op’s partnership with Hubbub has also shown me how it connects members of the community in a bid to tackle food waste and improve access to food for everyone.  

This year’s Co-op Christmas TV ad shines a light on the power of communities in real time, with a live link to our community fridge within the Afghanistan and Central Asian Association Community Centre in Feltham. The community fridge is a space where anyone – including local people and businesses – can share surplus food with other members of the community in order to reduce food waste. It’s something Co-op is fully supporting, and their first £500,000 partnership with Hubbub (announced in May) added 100 locations, leading to the first 250 community fridges by the end of 2021.  

It’s the community aspect that I see as being the most beneficial. At our centre, the community fridge has allowed us to expand the current activities of the charity. Through food donations from stores and individuals, we’re able to make food available for people on a greater scale. The support of the Co-op has enabled us to increase our capacity and subsequently help more people.  

For the Afghan and Central Asian community I work with, our community hub provides so much to people who could otherwise feel marginalised. This includes refugees and those who are newly arrived in the UK, as well as those who are unemployed or need further assistance within the community. 

Whatever the circumstance, food brings us together. At our community hub, having access to food from different cultures and different backgrounds promotes diversity, cultural interaction and integration. 

What’s more, community fridges are trying to change the attitude around food waste, to educate people that food shouldn’t be wasted. They create a place for people to come together, utilising the surplus food and donation from the community fridges. It shows how effective and beneficial it is to have these programmes running with so many wider benefits to the community.  

Co-op is continuing the effort and expanding the partnership with a further £1.5m to add an additional 250 fridges by 2023. This includes supporting 50 of these locations further to expand their work as food hubs. Each community fridge distributes 2.4 tonnes of food per month – that’s around 5,683 meals. It’s so important to see other communities benefitting from community fridges like ours in Feltham: they help fill the gap in reducing inequalities and increasing accessibility for those who need it most.  

You can get involved by locating your local fridge, and becoming a Co-op Member to start supporting communities across the UK when you shop at your local Co-op store. Community groups can also apply for funding to set up a community fridge. 

Darius Nasimi