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Dundee community fridge fights to survive after government funding bid rejected

The project in Dundee's West End had its latest bid for funding rejected by Scottish Government

Dundee community fridge
Lynsey Penny outside the Dundee Community Fridge. Image: Kim Cessford/DC Thomson.

A Dundee community fridge which has given away 250 tonnes of food in three years says without urgent help it will be forced to close.

The project’s latest funding bid was rejected by the Scottish Government, forcing them to turn to crowd funding.

Co-founder Lynsey Penny says the group hopes to raise £30,000 – the annual cost of operating the Perth Road fridge.

The free-to-use facility, which aims to reduce food waste, redistributes surplus goods from supermarkets and local businesses that would otherwise end up in the bin.

‘This is a last resort’

Lynsey, 36, said: “All major grant funders are heavily oversubscribed at the moment as a result of years of funding cuts and now with the cost of living crisis.

“So far we haven’t been able to attract grant funding for this April onwards, despite trying many different avenues.

Lynsey says the crowd funder is a last resort.

She added: “A lot of blood, sweat and tears has gone into the fridge over the years and we decided we couldn’t let all the hard work go to waste.

“We hoped as a last ditch effort people wouldn’t mind helping us this one time.”

Dundee West End Community Fridge is popular with locals. Image: Kim Cessford/DC Thomson

The fridge, which has had 25,000 visitors over the past 12 months, is open five days a week.

Lynsey says that many people are surprised to learn that it costs £30,000 to run the fridge each year – especially as it is manned by volunteers.

But she explains: “We have a full-time community fridge coordinator to pay.

“We also have to pay rent, utility costs and maintenance costs”.

Fridge introduces ‘pay as you feel’ system

The fridge is also implementing a new “pay as you feel” system, allowing locals using the service to make a donation if they wish.

Lynsey said: “It’s not mandatory, it’s just to encourage those who can afford to support us to do so.

“We were well-funded before so we didn’t encourage donations because we didn’t need it.

“Lots of people are willing. There is a dignity element as well of being able to give something back.

“People don’t like to feel like they are receiving charity.”

A typical basket of food given to visitors to Dundee West End Community Fridge. Image: Kim Cessford

The fridge works with local businesses and around eight supermarkets – including Tesco, Aldi, Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury’s.

Visitors to the fridge often leave with a selection of fruits, vegetables, pastas, cereals, biscuits and rice.

Around 988,000 tonnes of food and drink is wasted in Scotland every year.

Transition Dundee, the social enterprise behind the fridge, also run The Wardrobe, a second hand shop on the Nethergate that aims to encourage more people to reuse and repair clothes.

Lynsey says the store was opened last year in a bid to generate enough revenue to be able to run the fridge without relying on grant funding, but, she says, “we need more time”.

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