A POPULAR Oswestry community kitchen project has thanked all those who have helped it expand with a move into bigger premises.

OsNosh, which operated out of the Memorial Hall in Oswestry, has teamed up with Shropshire Council’s Community Reassurance Team (CRT), Oswestry Town Council and Be a Better Fish Ltd, to help facilitate a move to The Centre, in Oak Street.

Ben Wilson, who runs OsNosh with his brother Tom, admitted they were delighted to work with the stakeholders to allow the move to happen, with special praise for Paul Newman from Be a Better Fish.

"A huge thank you to Shropshire Council and Oswestry Town Council for allowing us to use The Centre," said Ben.

"This has given us the chance to expand our vital community work, reaching more and more people each week, and saving more and more food from landfill.”

He added: "We've been waiting until we're settled in to shout about this, but with huge thanks to [the councils], and the wonderful Paul from Be a Better Fish – the local small business champion –, we can call The Centre our home.

"We've been there not even three weeks, yet in that time we've gone from delivering around 30 meals and food parcels a week to those who most need it, to more than 80. And are now cooking and redistributing more than 200kg of surplus food a week.

"[We] really couldn't have done it without our team of incredible and dedicated volunteers, the support of other local businesses and local council."

OsNosh provides free, or ‘pay as you feel’, community meals to those who are hungry and struggling to make ends meet, or to those who are in need of some company.

The community interest group uses food that is donated by the community, food producers and businesses, that would otherwise be wasted, and turns them into delicious and healthy well-balanced meals.

They were supported by town councillor John Price, who said: “It was an absolute privilege to be part of this amazing project and I am so grateful that this was one of last projects I had supported as mayor of Oswestry.

"As a councillor, I am extremely keen to support the work being done to address isolation and loneliness through these challenging times and beyond.

"I would therefore sincerely like to thank OsNosh, Be Better Fish, both councils and everyone else who has contributed to this fantastic scheme, which not only provides delicious meals to those in need, but help bring communities together.

“I am delighted that we have been able to support OsNosh to relocate to The Centre."

To make further donations to OsNosh, head to www.justgiving.com and search 'Let's Keep OsNosh Alive!'.