A new community fridge at The Courtenay Centre in Newton Abbot is helping local people access free food that would otherwise go to waste, thanks to support from volunteers and partners.
Trustees, volunteers and centre users gathered to celebrate the official opening of the fridge. The centre hosts a range of activities for the local community, including a community café.
The previous fridge was no longer fit for purpose and could no longer keep food at a safe temperature. A replacement was purchased through a social value contribution from South West Procurement Alliance, but when it arrived it became clear that changes were needed to accommodate it.
LiveWest colleagues stepped in to support the project, helping to ensure the new fridge could be installed and made available for local people to use.
Lesley Browne, our Community Connector for the area, said: “LiveWest is very pleased to support community organisations with initiatives that help communities to thrive. Community fridges are a brilliant way of ensuring food is not wasted but benefits people locally.”
Any additional materials needed were provided through a partnership with Jewson Partnership Solutions as part of a wider social value contribution.
Located outside The Courtenay Centre, the community fridge is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Volunteers collect surplus food from local supermarkets and restock it daily, providing free food for anyone who needs it while preventing good-quality produce from going to waste.
Colleagues supported the project through LiveWest's volunteering scheme, which enables employees to give back to their local communities.
Quinn Rich, our Lead Technician who supported the project, said: “It's been great to be involved in something that makes such a positive difference locally.”
“We're proud to be able to give something back to the community and support a project that helps people access essential food and household items when they need them most.”
The centre also uses donated vegetables and bread from the fridge for its popular Free Soup Thursday sessions, providing visitors with a hot meal and supporting many lower-income households.
The fridge forms part of the wider community offer, which also includes a community garden opened in 2024. Social value funding helped provide the materials needed to create the garden, creating an outdoor space for local groups and activities.