The Ruddington Pantry has been awarded a grant of over £700 from the Ruddington Village Community Partnership (RVCP), enabling the purchase of a larger fridge to help save even more food from going to waste.
RVCP’s new Community Fund supports local initiatives that benefit the village. With the new fridge, the Pantry aims to increase its FareShare membership from 80kg to 120kg of food per week, allowing volunteers to serve more households and offer greater quantities of food per visit.
The pantry, based at St Peter’s Rooms in the village, runs on Wednesdays between 12.30pm and 1pm and on Sundays between 4pm and 4.30pm. Since opening in 2022, the Pantry has welcomed over 9,500 visits and saved 35 tonnes of food from landfill.
By collecting surplus food from local supermarkets, businesses, and individuals, the team ensures that good food reaches those who need it most, rather than going to waste. With support from FareShare, the Pantry also provides fresh fruit and vegetables, helping visitors access healthier options.
The RVCP Community Fund was made possible by saving £10,000 in pitch fees from the popular Ruddington Village Market, held on the Village Green on the first Saturday of each month from February to December.
Earlier this year, RVCP invited local groups to submit proposals for funding. Eight projects were shortlisted, and over 200 residents attended a Community Fund Voting Evening to meet the organisations and vote for their favourites.
Mark Pinks, Vice-Chair of RVCP said: “Carol, Gwen and all the amazing volunteers at The Ruddington Pantry do a fantastic job running these community fridge sessions. They open the doors twice a week and prevent a huge amount of food from ending up in landfill.
“We’re thrilled they secured the funding they needed through this new initiative from RVCP. The Community Fund is our way of giving back to Ruddington, and we’re proud to have supported eight inspiring projects with a share of £10,000 raised through the Village Market.
“A huge thank you to all the village market volunteers who support the event every month and made this possible.”
Gwen Eyre, Co-founder and Treasurer of The Ruddington Pantry added: “We were so happy to receive the grant of £700 from the RVCP. All funding means the world to us, but when it comes from the community we are part of, it feels even more special.
“The voting event back in May was a great opportunity to meet with people living locally to explain what we do and what our plans for the future are. Coming third in the public vote gave us reassurance that our work is valued by the people of Ruddington. The second fridge/freezer is already having an impact enabling us to collect and distribute more food, saving it from waste.”
The Community Fund for Ruddington 2025 was proudly sponsored by Okarno Ltd.