The success of a Christmas hamper project in Chirk has led to a new initiative being launched in the town in a bid to tackle food waste.

Chirk Community Agent, Yvie Bernett, was overwhelmed by the success of the Christmas hamper idea over the festive period, and wanted to continue putting the community spirit in the town to good use by setting up the Chirk Community Cupboard.

The idea involves making food, which would otherwise be going to landfill, free to people within the community.

Surplus food from supermarkets and businesses will be available, while donations of food from members of the community are also welcome.

Yvie was pleased to see the idea receive backing from Chirk Town Council recently and said the response so far has been amazing.

“I think it is a critical follow-up to the success of the Christmas hampers,” she said.

“It’s not intended as a food bank – it is a project aimed at reducing food waste and encouraging sharing within the community.

“We’ve had a tremendous response to the idea already – not just from the councillors volunteering to help out in any way they can, but I’ve also had lots of messages from people within the community offering donations, offering to do deliveries for people isolating and asking how they can help.

“It’s very much a way of trying to take advantage of the community spirit in Chirk as a way to help one another out.

“Some local businesses have signed up to the Too Good To Go scheme – this is not being set-up to act as competition for those at all.

“This is very much about preventing waste, and it’s for everybody to access whether they want to donate or want to see if there’s anything here for them to save it from going to landfill.

“It’s very much a full council effort – everybody is very much behind it and all of them have pledged help in one way or another.

“We’re really pleased with it and hopefully it goes well.”

Through the Association of Voluntary Organisations in Wrexham (AVOW) Yvie was put in touch with groups which will help to provide food to the project.

She said: “Through AVOW, we have been put in touch with not only Fair Share Go, but also Fair Share Merseyside.

“We’re still talking about delivery times with them, but they have promised us 80kg of food per week that will be delivered to us for no charge.

“Fair Share Merseyside covers Merseyside, the Wirral and the whole of North Wales and will be delivering surplus from supermarkets to us.

“That may not be in place for Wednesday, but it certainly should be by the following Wednesday.

“It’s fantastic, we’ve had loads of support and it has all stemmed from the Christmas hamper project which went down so well.

“We had so many people in the community offering donations of food, cash and help, and I didn’t want to lose the community enthusiasm without picking up on it.”

The Chirk Community Cupboard will run every Wednesday from 5pm until 7pm at Chirk Parish Hall.

Anyone shielding, or unable to attend, can contact Yvie on 07821 297 768, email communityagent@chirktowncouncil.org.uk or message her on Facebook to arrange delivery.