Mayor praises Helping Whittlesey Community Pantry’s efforts in reducing food waste

Mayor praises Helping Whittlesey Community Pantry’s efforts in reducing food waste

The Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Dr Nik Johnson, recently visited the Helping Whittlesey Community Pantry to show his support for their commendable work in helping reduce food waste within society, whilst distributing over 21 tonnes of surplus food to residents.

The Helping Whittlesey Community Pantry, which opened in 2023, redistributes surplus food from retailers, producers, and local farms to the people of Whittlesey and surrounding villages.

Anna Foster, who runs the Pantry, emphasized the initiative’s focus on environmental sustainability and community support, “It’s not about who walks through the door, whether there is a need, but if you can use it, take it, and cook with it. Any other benefits of what we do are a bonus for us.” Foster also noted the collaborative efforts with other local food banks to reduce food waste, sharing resources to ensure nothing goes unused or ends up in landfill.

Dr Nik Johnson commended the pantry’s work, stating, “What the Pantry is delivering embodies true compassion, co-operation and community. Supported by amazing volunteers, they’re ensuring local people benefit from donated nutritious food, stopping food going to waste, and ultimately contributing to reducing our food carbon footprint within the region.”

Helping Whittlesey is currently fundraising to expand the pantry’s operations, which aims to develop a food van for collections, storing, repairing, and redistributing of household items to further benefit the local community.