Ellie Lister would like to start a FoodCycle hub in Taunton and is looking for volunteers to form a core group. See details below:
FoodCycle is a national charity with the objectives of:
- Reducing food waste
- Reducing food poverty
- Training volunteers
- Building communities
I am interested in bringing a FoodCycle hub to Taunton. For this, a core team of volunteers (called Hub Leaders) will be required to carry out a number of steps until a Taunton FoodCycle hub is created. This is a very exciting project as there is so much flexibility to create a Hub which will benefit Taunton. Initially, the core team would be working together to apply for the national FoodCycle for a franchise opportunity, seeking funding (which is relatively low at approximately £2,000 to commence running), deciding on location and target audience (although of course anyone would be welcome).
The aim is to hold a weekly vegetarian meal for members of the community with food which would otherwise be wasted. For instance, Sainsburys typically provide an abundance of food to support FoodCycle’s nationally. I also know that the Bath Hub charges just £1.00 for a three course meal..
The roles on the core team are wide, covering areas such as Volunteer Coordination, Fundraising, PR, marketing and communications, surplus food co-ordination, outreach and engagement officer etc. Of course, once we know for sure the project is good to go, we will need a regular bank of volunteers to assist with operation, between 20-40 volunteers is envisaged but only a fraction would be required on the day of the meal.
If you would like to hear more please call Ellie Lister on 07935164419 (weekdays after 5.30pm please) or email ellielister@hotmail.com. I have spoken to the Volunteer Bureau and they would be happy to assist us setting up the project, once a core team of volunteer leaders was found.
Thanks for reading and I hope you are as passionate about the potential as me!