TRANSITION Monmouth’s Food Sense Group has launched an initiative to reduce the amount of supermarket food going to waste and potentially to landfill - and they’re keen for others to get involved.

The group currently collects surplus food such as bread and cakes from Monmouth’s M&S Food Hall via a nationwide scheme called Neighbourly and is in discussion with other local supermarkets for a similar arrangement.

Neighbourly was set up to connect local stores like M&S with charities, community groups and schools that can put food near a ‘use by’ or ‘best before’ date to good use in the community.

Its redistribution scheme also supports the donation of non-food products including household goods, cleaning products, toiletries, kitchen equipment, furniture and more.

“Through e-mail notifications from Neighbourly, we are collecting crates of items like bread, cake and, on some occasions, dented tins from M & S on a regular basis,” said the group’s chair David Blair.

“We’re keen to extend this to other supermarkets. But we don’t want to just assist the supermarkets to dispose of this surplus. We want to think about where it goes.

“We want to increase our network of groups and organisations that wish to receive such food and make sure it is put to good use or to hear about individuals that might benefit.

“Some foods could be frozen, but we currently don’t have access to a community freezer or fridge or a ‘community cupboard’ from which food could be collected. These are ideas we’d like to discuss.

“If you would like to know more about or have thoughts on receiving or distributing surplus food or the acquisition of a community fridge/freezer/cupboard - or perhaps you have space for one, please let us know at: [email protected] - or come to the next Food Sense meeting at the Robin Hood on Wednesday 17th October at 7.30pm.”

During the summer volunteers from the Food Sense Group worked with others to provide packed lunches for children attending the playscheme at Overmonnow School.

They’ve since provided ‘evidence’ - such as how many children attended, how many sandwiches were provided and so on - to inform Monmouthshire County Council’s application for financial support from the School Holiday Enrichment Programme.