The public have been thanked for stepping in to save a Dundee community fridge by donating more than £30,000.
Dundee West End Community Fridge – which prevented 250 tonnes of food from going to waste last year – launched a plea for help in February.
It came after the Scottish Government rejected a funding application.
The project, on Perth Road, costs about £30,000 to run each year and helps redistribute food from supermarkets and businesses that would have otherwise gone in the bin.
‘It’s a nice reminder people care’
Those running the fridge feared for its future if they could not raise a year’s running costs.
But just over a month on, the target has already been met – with donations still coming in.
Lynsey Penny, co-founder, says she has been blown away by the support.
She said: “I think it’s been a really nice reminder about how much people care about the project and how much people will help.
“When we first found out we didn’t get the funding, we were crushed – especially when you put so much time and effort into the applications – but I also believe in fate and it obviously wasn’t meant to be.
“I was cautious about making the target quite high because a lot of people are shocked about how much it costs to run and all the underlying costs.
“Although I was wary, we needed to raise the full amount so I just decided we had to do it.”
The effort was supported by local groups, including Dundee University societies, fundraising.
Lynsey says the donations have helped take a weight off the group’s shoulders and will enable it to focus on the future.
She added: “It’s really exciting. We just moved to Transition Dundee last year with the aim to not be reliant on funding but knew we would need some funding for a few years.
“It gives us some breathing space to plan for the future and not ask for the public to support.
“I just want to say a big thank you to everyone who donated, no matter how big or small – the donations all added up.”
Anyone still wishing to support the initiative can sign up to a monthly donation page.
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