The Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Dr Nik Johnson, visited the Helping Whittlesey Community Pantry to show his support for their 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,” she said.
“Any other benefits of what we do are a bonus for us.”
Anna 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 Johnson commended the pantry’s work.
He said: “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 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.
