Community Fridge Investment Fund

A man in his 50s stand outside in the sun. He's wearing navy t-shirt and cap. He faces away from the camera and is tending to bright pink and red flowers.
Back to all grant funds

Community Fridge Investment Fund

The Community Fridge Investment Fund was a fantastic collaboration with Co-op which offered an opportunity for groups to access £5,000 in funding to fuel initiatives and drive social and environmental impact goals.

With this fund, we wanten to deepen the impact of fridges and address the issues that come up time and time again, like volunteer recruitment, lack of capacity or dependency on grant funding, just to name a few. 

We listened to the network and identified areas where our support could address these problems through encouraging innovation, enhancing existing activities, adapting to new and future challenges and using research and insights to enable groups to become self-sustaining.

This funding was available on a rolling basis over 6 weeks and applicants who were unsuccessful were able to apply again as many times as they liked within that window. We allocated grants on a continuous basis until the funding allocation is distributed.
 

What was the funding used for?

The focus of this funding is to improve the longevity, self-sufficiency and social/ environmental impact of your community fridge. Applications included:

  1. Improving buildings

    Improving buildings and facilities related to fridges

  2. Training and learning

    Training and learning opportunities 

  3. Expanding service

    Extending and/or expanding the existing service that the fridge groups provide

  4. New initiatives

    Using insights from previous projects to evolve into new initiatives (“survive mode” to “thrive mode”)

  5. Equipment and technology

    Upgrading equipment and technology

  6. Communications

    Reaching more people through marketing and communications

  7. Fundraising

    Improving income generation and fundraising

  8. Recruitment

    Volunteer recruitment and management

  9. Innovation

    Trying out new and innovative ideas

  10. Collaboration

    Working with other groups to make projects stronger

  11. Reducing waste

    Reducing waste and making use of resources

  12. Core costs

    Capacity and core costs (this included rent for the facility or salaries for permanent staff. Core costs account for no more than 1/3 of the funding received)

  13. Evaluation

    Evaluation or impact measurement

Landscape image of a community Food Hub. A big green allotment with raised beds amongst mown grass. The landscape is wild and green around the allotment.

Case studies

Repton Connect

Repton Connect used the grant to employ a member of staff to coordinate more food recovery from farms, retailers, and food producers. "This funding has been brilliant – it allows us to enhance our capacity and effectively manage surplus food." – Beth Rice, Repton Connect

Lochwinnoch Community Fridge

Lochwinnoch applied for funding to extend their fridge capacity and improve accessibility, adding more fridge space to serve their community. "Thank you for this new funding! – It turns around our capacity issues and lets us serve more people effectively. Don’t hesitate to apply for the funding; it can make a huge difference." – Lochwinnoch Community Fridge

Yaxley Community Fridge

Yaxley Community Fridge used the funding to install an air conditioning unit to keep their space and volunteers cool. Non-refrigerated items now stay fresher for longer, and volunteers are much more comfortable, especially in summer! "We should have done it sooner! The heat in the room in past years has been unbearable." – Yaxley Community Fridge

Waddesdon Hall Community Fridge

Waddesdon Hall used the funding to build toilets at their community fridge, which allowed them to offer more services and run activities for longer. Their advice for other groups: “Take a step back, engage with your supporters, and put together a compelling case study. Every community fridge represents a strong and impactful cause that funders are likely to support, so don’t be afraid to think big and aim high!” – Waddesdon Hall Community Fridge

The Feed Foundation

The Feed Foundation used the funding to support volunteer recruitment at their fridge. "The funding from Hubbub has allowed us to thoroughly develop our volunteer training programme, helping with retention and consistency by ensuring volunteers are fulfilled beyond their roles." – The Feed Foundation

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

We do more than food.

Ever wondered what to do with your old clothes, or how to make your smartphone last longer?

Find out