Community Food Hubs

Four middle-aged women stand around a table, laughing. They are all wearing green aprons and one of the women is holding a lemon peel.
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Community Food Hubs 

Supporting local food initiatives

Across the UK, community fridges are transforming the way food moves through communities: saving surplus food and getting fresh produce on to people's plates. Last year alone, groups shared the equivalent of over 27 million meals.

But as hardship rises, we know redistribution is only party of the story.

More than 250 fridges have grown into vibrant food hubs too, places where neighbours connect, confidences grows and new skills are built through food. 

In 2025, community fridges launched and delivered 266 new community projects from veggie cooking workshops and low-meat shared meals to community gardens and sharing libraries, with 12,556 people participating and 2,290 people reporting positive, lasting habit changes from taking part. 

These activities are transforming community fridges into trusted social spaces where climate action feels local, doable and human. Everyday food activities are becoming a gateway to sustainable habits.

Now, we're taking this impact even further. 

Building the next generation of food hubs

With new funding from the Greggs Foundation, we've launched the next phase of our Food Hubs Programme. This time, we're doing things differently.

We're co-creating the programme with community fridges themselves, testing ideas, learning fast and shaping what support really needs to look like, together and in real time.

Over the next two years, we're working with 16 community fridges in Glasgow and London, building local resilience where it's needed most. Funding and hands-on support will help communities run:

  • Sustainable cooking classes
  • Community meals
  • Food-growing projects

Alongside this, we're focussed on learning and sharing what works best by:

  • Testing how food activities engage people, build skills and strengthen community connections
  • Creating simple, practical toolkits that any community fridge can use
  • Sharing learning through in-person events across the Community Fridge Network
Someone washing a sieve at a community fridge kitchen.

Thanks to funding from the Greggs Foundation, we'll be able to support thousands of people facing hardship, while sparking the joy of climate action through food.

Want to get involved? Businesses can make a real difference. If you're looking to support community food initiatives while delivering meaningful, local impact, get in touch at foodhubs@hubbub.org.uk.

Hungry for more?

If food waste were a country, it would be the third biggest polluter in the world. Find out how our campaigns have been shifting behaviours to take a bite out of the problem.

Read our blog

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