A COMMUNITY Initiative to help reduce food waste by providing surplus food to needy families has been introduced in Falmouth

The Community Fridge at the Dracaena Centre off Dracaena Avenue, Falmouth is an initiative funded by Hubbub and the Co-op to reduce food waste.

It is one of over 200 Community Fridges spread across the UK providing free access to perishable food that would otherwise have been wasted.

Co-op is partnering with Hubbub to fund Community Fridges and double the network to 500 fridges across the country saving 34 million meals from going to waste every year.

Community Fridges have become focal points for many people, creating a space where they can have access to free food, a place to meet people, learn new cooking skills, and be somewhere to donate homegrown fruit and veg if they are sufficiently green fingered to have created a surplus.

Dracaena Centre skills and education manager Siobhan Florence said she was delighted to have received funding from Hubbub to purchase the fridge.

"We are thrilled to be able to offer this service to our local community," she said.

"The fridge is a space for local supermarkets to donate surplus fresh produce, also from The Gleaning Network and any other organisations who would like to add to it.

"Members of the public can also add surplus food, cooked or raw as long as it is labelled with date and ingredients."

The fridge is open Monday to Friday 9am to 2pm and Saturday 10am to 12pm.

The cafe will be open run by members of Refresh and selling hot drinks and cake.