18/10/2026
Week 13: Autumn is behind us, and winter is on the way!
It's been another good week at Toddington Community Fridge, with 350kg of food redistributed.
The autumn peak in surplus food has definitely come to an end, and we're now heading into winter operations. The types and quantities of food available are changing, and although we're still facing some challenges with collections, our volunteers continue to do a fantastic job of keeping everything running.
Next week, some of our volunteers will also be visiting SOFEA in Bletchley to learn more about their operation and the work that goes into getting surplus food to community organisations like ours.
Behind the scenes, we're also thinking about the future of the service.
Unfortunately, we didn't receive an early decision from the Charity Commission on our application to register our new charity. We could now be waiting another 20 weeks or so for an answer, but there are things we simply can't put on hold.
One of our biggest challenges is transport. We're relying on volunteers using their own cars to collect and move hundreds of kilograms of food every week. The interior of one of our cars was recently damaged during a collection, which really brought home how unsustainable this is becoming. Cars aren't vans, and we can't keep expecting volunteers to use their personal vehicles for this kind of work.
We desperately need a van, so we'll be exploring funding opportunities to help us get one. We've got a great team, and I'm confident we'll find a way forward!
And finally, some really good news! 🎉
We've been selected as a Co-op Local Community Fund cause, with the new funding round launching today!
Co-op members can help us receive a share of the £3.5 million fund this year. The more people that select us, the bigger our share.
Visit the Co-op app or https://membership.coop.co.uk/causes/104549 and choose Toddington Community Fridge as your cause.
The more people who select us, the bigger our share of the funding. We'd really appreciate your support!
