In a bid to tackle food waste, West Sussex County Council is once again teaming up with Sussex-based food rescue charity UKHarvest, and waste management company, Biffa, to run Community Food Hubs.
At a time when many people are facing significant cost-of-living pressures, Community Food Hubs encourage residents to take advantage of ‘surplus food rescue services’ in exchange for a small voluntary donation. They also provide education sessions to help residents learn how to reduce the amount of edible food which ends up in the bin.
Last year’s pilot programme saw Community Food Hubs established in Bognor Regis, Crawley, and Southwick. Within just six months, they prevented over 7 tonnes of food going to waste and provided food to almost 3,000 people. Building on this success, the programme has been extended this year to include seven community hubs, running once a month across every district and borough until April 2024.
| District | Location | Venue |
| Adur | Southwick | Southwick Community Centre, 24 Southwick Street, Southwick, BN4 4TE |
| Arun | Bognor Regis | Bognor Youth and Community Centre, Westloats Lane, Bognor Regis, PO21 5JZ |
| Chichester | Petworth | Sylvia Beaufoy Centre, Midhurst Road, Petworth, GU28 0ET |
| Crawley | Broadfield | Broadfield Community Centre, Broadfield Barton, Crawley, RH11 9BA |
| Horsham | Storrington | Chanctonbury Leisure Centre, Spierbridge Road, Storrington, Pulborough, West Sussex, RH20 4PG |
| Mid Sussex | Haywards Heath | Ashenground Community Centre, Southdown Close, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 4JR |
| Worthing | Worthing | Sidney Walter Centre, Sussex Road, Worthing, West Sussex, BN11 1DS |
Each area will host a UKHarvest Community Food Hub once a month where, for a small voluntary donation, residents will be able to bring their own bag to pick up a wide selection of surplus foods which would have otherwise ended up as waste from suppliers.
All residents are welcome to visit the child-friendly Community Food Hubs and are designed to reduce food waste. Hubs also offer recipes and host information stands on various subjects, including waste prevention, wellbeing, and Citizens Advice.
UKHarvest is confident that the programme will make a significant impact. UKHarvest Partnership Manager Sarah Morison said, “We are thrilled to announce the expansion of this successful project with West Sussex County Council and our new partnership with Biffa. We believe that by sharing this rescued produce we can bring the community together to all tackle food waste.”
Deborah Urquhart, West Sussex Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change, said: “Reducing food waste is central to our council plan, we are committed to rescuing surplus food across the county, and our extended partnership with UKHarvest and Biffa will help us achieve this goal.
For information on Community Food Hub locations and dates, click here.
