Opened five years ago by then Mayor Cllr Mark Cooper, it’s fifth birthday was celebrated on Friday last week by the new Mayor, Cllr Mark Luson. Sited in the Community Room at Cooper’s Corner in the George Lane Car Park adjacent to the bridge over the River Kennet it is stocked with donations from Waitrose, Tesco, Gails and other retail outlets and kept going by an army of volunteers.
Many birthday cards were left in a special card post box’. One read: ‘To all the great people who help at the fridge, it is more than about helping stop food waste going to the tip! We have made it a social event. We have made friends and a community. I love queuing and catching up with fridge friends – it is so important to me, Happy Birthday all!’
What is the ‘Community Fridge’, and how does it work? Firstly, all food there is free, to be taken by members of the community. It was set up by the Town Council in partnership with Transition Marlborough in 2021, and it’s there so that what food that might possibly be wasted is taken and used. Volunteers collect from Gails, Waitrose and Tesco’s each week and we also accept food from other retailers on an ad-hoc basis.
It’s a ‘trust’ process, whilst the food there is free it’s there to be taken and eaten by those who need it. All the Council and Transition Marlborough ask is that people take what they can use.
First ever Pride event in Marlborough – 24 June
