West Weald Community Pantry Chills Out

Repower Balcombe granted £874 to the West Weald Community Pantry team in January 2025 to buy a fridge to extend the shelf life of donated food and reduce the amount going to waste.

West Weald Community Pantry exists to reduce food waste, support people in need, and bring the community together. 

Operating out of All Saints church in Handcross and run by volunteers, the pantry is open every Saturday morning for members of the community to enjoy free hot drinks and pick up food that would otherwise have gone to waste. 

Through membership of fareshare, the pantry are able to collect food twice a week from local supermarkets that would otherwise have been thrown away. The quantity is variable but is often over ten crates of food per week. This is usually perishable food that while still good to eat, has a short shelf life. 

Having a fridge to store this food has made a huge difference to the amount of food available to the local community and made a big contribution to reducing waste. The very efficient, A+ rated fridge that Repower Balcombe provided means that this is affordable, and does not come at a cost to the environment.    

The pantry also supports people in need. A fund has been set up to buy essential goods and there are donation bins in the local villages for people to contribute. Members of the group also bring seasonal produce to share that they have grown. 

Thank you for your support, and we hope you’ll come and visit!