North Shields charity chosen to save food from being wasted
A charity in North Shields has been chosen as one of 12 in the country to get funding to help reduce food waste.The scheme by the Department for Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (Defra) aims to save 19,000 tonnes of food from being wasted and instead feed families.It sets the charities up with farmers to supply produce that would otherwise be unused.Cedarwood Trust, which helps thousands of people a year who live in and around the Meadow Well Estate, said it was "fantastic" to be part of the project.
The grants under the Tackling Food Surplus at the Farm Gate scheme aim to ensure surplus food gets redistributed to homeless shelters, food banks and charities across the country.Listen to more on this story hereThis will see more farm gates opened to organisations who will use edible food that might otherwise have been left in fields, Defra said.Wayne Dobson, Cedarwood Trust CEO, said: "This is fantastic news and great that we've been recognised nationally for the work that we've been doing around food distribution."
Cedarwood Trust has an onsite bistro as well as producing its own range of ready meals in its production kitchen."We're now looking at ways we can bring this produce into those facilities" Mr Dobson said, adding: "And if we've got too much produce we'll share with other local foodbanks and community projects."Now the money is secured, Jo Scorer who is leading the charity's new project, said: "We're starting to approach organisations now. "I'm in chats with the allotment association who are keen to support us too. "The plan would be to have a donation box in every allotment in the North East so people can donate surplus food."Waste Minister Mary Creagh said the scheme aimed to tackle the country's "throwaway culture", adding: "Ensuring more good food ends up on plates and not in bins."She said she was delighted the 12 schemes had been chosen.
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