Free food, less waste and a whole lot of community spirit!

There's something new in Chippenham - and it's already making a big difference!

We have officially opened the doors to Chippenham's first Community Fridge. It's a place to reduce waste, bring people together and make sure perfectly good food ends up on plates rather than landfill.

We were delighted to welcome the Mayor of Chippenham, Councillor Matthew Bragg, to officially open the community fridge and celebrate with our wonderful volunteers and supporters.

And what a journey it's been!

For over a year, a dedicated team of volunteers has been working behind the scenes alongside Chippenham Town Council, Wiltshire Town Council at the Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre and the Co-op team to make the Community Fridge a reality. From securing funding and completing food safety training to building relationships with local businesses, an enormous amount of time, energy and enthusiasm has gone into getting us here.

And now, finally, the fridge is open for business!

So, what's a Community Fridge?

It's a pretty simple idea, really.

Local supermarkets, independent shops, business donate surplus food that might otherwise go to waste. Our volunteers collect it, check it and make it available at the Community Fridge for anyone to take home - completely free.

You might find fresh fruit and vegetables, bread, pastries, cupboard essentials or frozen food. What's available changes depending on donations, so every visit is a little different.

And here's the important bit: it's for EVERYONE.

You don't need to register, become a member or prove you need the food. Whether you're looking to stretch your weekly food budget, do your bit for the environment or simply fancy rescuing a perfectly good loaf of bread, you're very welcome.

In fact, the more people who use it, the more food we can save!

Why does Chippenham need a Community Fridge?

Because we're throwing away an astonishing amount of perfectly good food.

Every year, millions of tonnes of edible food go to waste across the UK. That's food that's been grown, watered, harvested, transported, packaged and sold — only to end up in the bin.

And it's not just the food we're wasting.

All the energy, water, land and resources that went into producing it are wasted too. When food ends up in landfill, it can also release methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.

By rescuing surplus food and sharing it with our community, we're helping to tackle food waste, save precious resources and make good food available to more people.

Less waste, more food, happier planet. What's not to love?

From food waste to food grown - completing the circle!

One of the things we’re particularly excited about is having the Community Fridge right here at Rooted Chippenham Community Garden.

Because it gives us an opportunity to do something rather special.

Food that's no longer suitable for people to eat can, where appropriate, be composted in our garden. That compost helps enrich our soil, allowing us to grow more fresh fruit and vegetables.

And what can we do with some of that lovely homegrown produce? You guessed it - share it through the Community Fridge!

So, rather than simply throwing food away, we're working towards a circular system where resources are reused, soil is improved and more food is grown and shared locally.

And with our vegetables growing just outside the fridge, we're not talking about food miles.

We're talking food metres!

Our Green Johanna for composting food waste. You can find out more about hot composting in our blog here.

Nearly half a tonne of food rescued already!

Drumroll, please...

The Community Fridge has been open for less than a fortnight, and our wonderful volunteers and visitors have already helped rescue an incredible:

484kg OF FOOD!

That's almost half a tonne of food given a second chance! And we're only just getting started.

Behind that number are hundreds of individual items of food, all saved from potentially going to waste and made available to people in our community.

It's a fantastic start and shows just how much of a difference we can make when we work together.

How can you use the Community Fridge?

It's as easy as pop in, pick up, take home and enjoy! There's no registration, no membership and no charge.

Whether you take one apple or enough bread to stock your freezer, you're helping us reduce food waste.

Did you know? Plenty of food can be frozen or preserved for later. Bread, pastries, many fruits and vegetables can all be given a longer life with a little know-how.

So, if you spot something you won't use straight away, think about whether you could freeze it, cook it into something delicious or preserve it for another day.

Just remember to take what you can realistically use or store safely, so there's plenty to go around.

Where to find us

Location: Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre, Cocklebury Road, Chippenham, SN15 3QN.

Opening hours: 10am–4pm every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, every other Monday with the Moonraker Educafe 10am-2pm, plus the first Saturday of each month.

The Community Fridge is located inside the History Centre.

What's available? A changing selection of surplus food, potentially including fresh fruit and veg, bread, pastries, cupboard items and frozen food. Pop in and see what treasures are waiting!

Want to get involved?

A project like this wouldn't exist without the generosity of local authorities, businesses, our dedicated volunteers and the support of the wider community.

And we'd love you to be part of it!

Use the fridge. The more food we rescue, the better. Everyone is welcome.

Spread the word. Tell your friends, neighbours, family and colleagues. Share this article. You never know who might benefit.

Volunteer. If you'd like to lend a hand, we'd love to hear from you. Get in touch through our contact page.

Support Rooted. We're currently only able to accept food donations from registered businesses, but if you'd like to support the Community Fridge and our other projects, you can make a financial donation.

A big thank you!

The Community Fridge is a partnership between Rooted Chippenham CIC and the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre, with funding generously provided by Chippenham Town Council.

We’re incredibly grateful for the support, experience and guidance along the way from the Co-op team and from HEALS Malmesbury Community Fridge.

We're also proud to be part of the Community Fridge Network, coordinated by Hubbub, connecting us with hundreds of other community fridges across the UK.

And, of course, an enormous thank you to the volunteers who have made this happen, and to the local businesses helping us keep the shelves stocked.

Together, we can make sure good food gets eaten, not wasted.

So come along, have a look, take something home and help us spread the word.

See you at the fridge!