A successful scheme which last year prevented over 37 tonnes of food going to waste will continue for another year, thanks to funding from West Sussex County Council.

Run in partnership with Sussex-based food rescue charity UKHarvest, the Community Food Hubs are designed to tackle food waste and provide education on food waste prevention.

The hubs take place once a month in each district and borough across West Sussex and for a small voluntary donation residents are able to pick up a wide selection of surplus foods which would have otherwise ended up as waste.

Deborah Urquhart, West Sussex County Council Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change, said: “Food waste makes up a staggering 40 per cent of the average household general waste bin in West Sussex.

“An important element of our Council Plan is to reduce the amount of waste we have to process, so tackling food waste and helping people find ways to reduce the amount of edible food which ends up in the bin is critical.

“Food waste has an environmental impact as when you throw food away you are not only wasting the product but also the resources that went into creating it.

“At a time when many people are facing significant cost-of-living pressures we’re pleased to be supporting this valuable service to encourage residents to ‘rescue’ surplus food in exchange for a small voluntary donation.”

In October 2022 the county council launched a six month Community Food Hub pilot project to encourage people to take advantage of surplus food rescue services. Due to the success of the pilot, working with UKHarvest, Biffa and other partnerships and charities, the programme was extended for a further year to include seven community hubs, one in each district and borough. Thanks to the additional funding, the project will now continue for another 12 months until April 2025.

Over the last 10 months Community Food Hubs in West Sussex have prevented over 37 tonnes of food going to waste and provided food to over 11,000 people.

Referrals are not needed, and all residents are welcome to visit the child-friendly hubs which also offer recipes and host information stands on various subjects, including waste prevention, wellbeing, and Citizens Advice.

UKHarvest Community Engagement and Events Manager, Donna Martin, said: “The seven West Sussex County Council funded food hubs have enabled us to provide food for an additional 1,067 people each month.

“This is an invaluable addition which ensures that surplus healthy and nutritious food is reaching those that need it most across the county. There is every likelihood that the need for food hubs will continue to increase as cost-of-living pressures show little sign of letting up, but with the support from West Sussex County Council there is hope that more people will be able to benefit from receiving rescued surplus food.”

For information on Community Food Hub locations see the table below or visit www.westsussex.gov.uk/UKHarvest