Community pantry needs more storage to meet demand

Volunteers like Layla Waters an Anna Foster collect surplus food from shops that would otherwise be thrown away

A community pantry that gave away 21 tonnes of food in eight months has been looking for more storage space to meet demand.

Volunteers at the Whittlesey Community Pantry in Cambridgeshire want to raise about £1,000 for a "solid, decent shed that will last us years to come".

The panty operates from a converted storage unit behind the Falcon Hotel, Whittlesey, and takes surplus food from shops and supermarkets and redistributes the items in the community.

Anna Foster who runs the service, said the pantry had been well received by the area because "in this day and age everyone could do with a bit of help to save money".

The freezers at the pantry were filled on Tuesday and volunteers needed to find room for more surplus stock

Ms Foster told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire: "We have been running since September and initially thought we would average a tonne of food a month.

"But in eight months we have collected and redistributed 21 tonnes of surplus food back into the community from local shops and supermarkets.

"It is amazing and surprising. The community really got on board...it is free food and in this day and age everyone could do with a bit of help to save money."

The pantry said the community organisation, Whittlesey Lions, had sponsored half the cost of the shed, but it still needed to raise about £1,000 to make the space fit for purpose.