A new reason to visit the Old Chapel

If you’ve walked past the Old Chapel on Mill Lane recently, you’ll have spotted the new sign: Community Fridge – open to all. The doors open for the first time this Saturday, and everyone in the village is welcome. Surplus food from local shops, gardens, and allotments will be free for anyone who needs it. No membership, no referral, no awkward questions. Just good food that would otherwise go to waste, shared with neighbours.

The idea is simple. Volunteers collect food that shops can no longer sell but that is still perfectly good to eat. Local gardeners drop off gluts of courgettes, apples, and tomatoes. Everything is checked, sorted, and placed on the shelves. Then anyone can come in and help themselves. It’s a practical response to two problems at once: food waste and food insecurity. And it’s happening right here, in the heart of our village.

How the community fridge works

Opening hours are Tuesday 10am–noon, Thursday 4–6pm, and Saturday 9–11am. The fridge is in the side room of the Old Chapel, through the blue door. Bring your own bags or boxes – we don’t provide them. Take what you need for you and your household, and leave what you don’t. There’s no charge and no limit, though we ask everyone to be considerate so there’s enough to go round.

Volunteers check every item before it goes on the shelves. Anything past its use by date is removed and composted or disposed of safely. Best before dates are different – they’re about quality, not safety, so those items stay available. If you’re unsure, just ask a volunteer. We’d rather you asked than went without.

You don’t need to prove your income, your benefits, or your circumstances. The fridge is for anyone who finds it useful. That might be a pensioner on a tight budget, a family between payslips, a student, or someone who simply hates seeing good food thrown away. Everyone is welcome, and no one is judged.

What you might find on the shelves

Stock changes daily, depending on what’s been donated. Here’s a flavour of what’s typical:

• Fresh fruit and vegetables – often from local gardens and allotments
• Bread, rolls, and pastries from village bakeries
• Dairy items such as milk, cheese, and yoghurt
• Tinned beans, soup, pasta, and rice
• Occasional treats – cakes, biscuits, or seasonal goodies
• Pet food, when available

Some days the shelves are overflowing; other days they’re sparse. That’s the nature of surplus food. If you visit and find little, please come back another time. And if you have more than you need at home, consider bringing it in during opening hours.

Volunteers needed – here’s exactly what’s involved

The fridge can’t run without volunteers. We need people for two-hour shifts, and there are several roles to choose from. No experience is necessary – just a friendly manner and a willingness to muck in. Training is a short induction, and you’ll always be paired with someone experienced at first.

• Sorting deliveries from shops and gardens – checking what’s usable and organising it
• Checking dates and quality – removing anything past its use by date, flagging anything doubtful
• Cleaning the fridge, shelves, and counters – a quick wipe-down after each session
• Welcoming visitors – helping people find what they need and answering questions
• Keeping simple records – noting roughly what comes in and goes out, so we can report back to donors

Shifts are Tuesday mornings, Thursday afternoons, and Saturday mornings. You can do one a month or one a week – whatever suits you. Under-16s are welcome with an adult. If you can spare two hours, you’ll be making a real difference.

Why this matters for our village

Food waste is a scandal. Across the UK, millions of tonnes of perfectly edible food are thrown away every year – from shops, homes, and gardens. At the same time, many people in our own community are skipping meals or choosing between food and heating. A community fridge doesn’t solve everything, but it does something practical and immediate. It turns surplus into supper.

Just as importantly, it brings people together. The Old Chapel has always been a gathering place, and the fridge continues that tradition. You might come for a loaf of bread and stay for a chat. You might discover a neighbour has a glut of runner beans and you have a spare bag of apples. That’s how communities work – not through grand gestures, but through small, repeated acts of sharing.

There’s no stigma here. Using the fridge is no different from popping into a shop. It’s simply a resource, like a library or a bus stop. And the more people who use it, the more normal it becomes.

How to use the fridge or lend a hand

Using the fridge couldn’t be simpler. Turn up during opening hours, bring a bag, and take what you need. If you have surplus from your garden – a marrow that got away, a bag of apples, a bunch of herbs – drop it off during opening hours. Volunteers will check it and put it out.

To volunteer, sign up on the rota at the chapel or speak to any volunteer. There’s a volunteer induction this Sunday at 2pm in the side room – just turn up, no need to book. Bring a friend if you like. We’ll talk you through everything, from date-checking to cleaning, and you can try a shift to see how you get on.

The Old Chapel has stood at the centre of village life for generations. Now it’s a place where nothing good goes to waste – and nobody needs to go hungry. Come and be part of it.