Village Larder’s volunteer team started out just redistributing goods via FareShare Go – a service connecting community groups with short-dated items for same-day collection from nearby supermarkets. When it learned of the wider FareShare offering, it registered as a member with our Food Redistribution. Centre – the Lancashire & Cumbria arm of FareShare nationally. Membership has given them much more than just access to food.

“We’ve been going for around 18 months now and we’ve certainly come a long way in a short time. We couldn’t have got started without the support we’ve received from Recycling Lives Charity,” says Fiona Heslam, a founder member & Membership Secretary for Village Larder.

“Ours was previously a mining and industrial area and I’d listened to lots of people saying how they missed the sense of community that used to be here. There’s no shop or pub in the village where we first started up, and food is a great way of getting a community spirit going. We already had a group of volunteers who’d been helping out at events locally, so we just got going.

“We set up in March 2024 and used FareShare Go to begin with – which gives direct, same-day access to surplus stock from nearby supermarkets, wholesalers or restaurants. Then I’d heard there was support available to get a free fridge through FareShare, so I was put in touch with Naomi [Community Partnerships & Volunteering Manager] at FareShare L&C.

“We signed up and started to receive a huge variety – cupboard staples like pasta and rice, lots of vegetables, cooking sauces and spices, cakes and biscuits, bread, tinned foods, eggs, and seasonal items like mince pies and hot cross buns.

“But then, quite unexpectedly, the village hall where we’d started up withdrew use of the hall to our group.

“Naomi was incredibly supportive and enabled us to move, at speed, to a neighbouring village’s hall. So, we were able to continue, and we’ve grown since then, too.

“In winter, we added in our Warm Spot café, funded by Cumbria Community Foundation, and we’ve recently added in social prescribing too, to connect people to groups and services that can help improve their wellbeing.

“Originally our Food Club was stocked entirely with items from the Food Redistribution Centre. But in recent months we’ve had help from the Workington Tesco Community Champion, meaning we can also offer school uniforms and other products, and we now get donations from Booker (a wholesalers), KFC, and Morrisons in Workington, too.

“We’re open on the first and third Friday every month now, the Warm Spot Café runs 1-2pm and the Village Larder is open from 2pm. It’s £1 to become a member, then they can get bags of groceries for just £3.

“All are welcome but it tends to be families, older people, and low-income households or job-seekers. It’s brilliant to see people coming together. And if there’s families or older people who don’t drive, we’ll drop off a bag of groceries for them.

“For example, Jennifer told us how much she looks forward to Village Larder day because it offers a change from what she might normally buy, and allows her to contribute to making sure nothing goes to waste.”