Today's Spotlight is shining on the fantastic Kirriemuir Food Hub.
This non profit voluntary run organisation is based in the centre of Kirriemuir with a mission to make fresh food and food products available to everyone. In turn this reduces food waste by repurposing and redistributing supermarket excess and food donations.
The Hub is open to everyone in the Kirriemuir Community within the Websters catchment, roughly stretching from Newtyle to Tannadice.
The Kirriemuir Food Hub was initially set up by a group of volunteers in 2021 in response to the impact the pandemic was having on the local community's money and food security. It began life in the pub 3 Bellies Brae which belongs to one of the volunteers Lindsey Wilson and was closed due to lockdown.
Since then the Food Hub has grown and evolved through it's continually upheld vision of finding ways to reach more people in need.
The Hub moved to larger premises on Bank Street in 2023, and with further funding and support it now includes an e-van (shared with Sustainable Kirriemuir) and one employed member of staff!
The Kirriemuir Food Hub and it's incredible 40+ strong team of volunteers are responsible for gathering weekly collections from Asda, Lidl, Co-op, Greens, Tesco, Aldis & Booker, along with many independent businesses and individuals that have excess products they don't want to waste.
The dedicated volunteers sort and weigh the food items, display them and run the Hub which is open 6 days a week.
In one year the Kirriemuir Food Hub were able to save an astonishing 20 tonnes of food waste, and as of their most recent count have 600 members that use the food hub.
We think that is something worth raving about, don't you?!
The Angus Climate Hub recently provided some support through the Change for Good Fund, in which the Food Hub were able to buy one of two new energy efficient freezers (the other freezer was purchased through crowd funding). You can see the fabulous specimen of a freezer below!
The freezers replace an old heavy duty freezer that had been donated, which was expensive to run, had a solid door rather than glass fronted, and would 'time out' after being opened.
We are all familiar with the saying 'Every little helps' and the new freezer does just that, within an organisation that demonstrates the perfect embodiment of this - helping people one meal at a time and in turn helping our planet.
The Kirriemuir Food Hub is open to everyone in the Kirriemuir Community. You can find it at 23 Bank Street Kirriemuir (open Mon - Sat) or phone: 07745639144
SPOTLIGHT FEATURE - There's a lot happening around Angus where people are getting together and doing great things with and for their community. We want to shine a SPOTLIGHT , sharing and celebrating what is happening in the wider community. We hope this may inspire you to get involved, connect with others, learn a new skill or even set up your own group!