Tag Archive for: Merton Giving Week

Sustainable Merton’s Community Fridge

Sustainable Merton, Merton’s leading environmental charity, is bringing the first Community Fridge to the borough.

This meaningful project offers an exciting opportunity to stop edible surplus food from going to waste, and instead make this available to those who are struggling to afford to eat. The Community Fridge is essentially just a big fridge, located in an accessible, friendly space, where individuals and businesses can donate fresh edible food and members of the community can take what they want or need.

Sustainable Merton’s Community Fridge project has been selected to participate in the Big Give Christmas Challenge 2019, the U.K.’s largest match funding campaign running from 3rd – 10th December 2019.

This means that the first £2000 in donations made via theBigGive.org.uk to the Community Fridge project during this week, will be matched and thus have twice the impact.

The aim is to raise a minimum of £10,000, which will contribute to the set up, running, maintenance and management of Merton’s first Community Fridge.

The need for food assistance in Merton is rising. Between 2015 – 2017, the number of residents accessing local food banks increased by 33%. At the same time, huge amounts of good food is going to waste, filling up overflowing landfill sites and producing greenhouse gases. Many local businesses and residents would be willing to donate fresh food if they had the opportunity, and a Community Fridge in Merton will provide this essential link that does not exist in the borough at present.

Sustainable Merton’s Community Fridge will be a valuable contribution to the community, contributing to reductions in both greenhouse gas emissions and food poverty. With the support from individuals and businesses, we can make a real difference to the lives of local people and protect our environment by keeping good food out of the bin and into the hands of those who need it most.

To find out more about the Community Fridge initiative, visit the following link.

How You Can Help to Support Local Charities and Change Lives

Merton Giving, a charitable partnership between Merton Chamber of Commerce and Merton Voluntary Services Council and supported by Merton Council, is celebrating its first birthday. Since its launch, the business community has responded incredibly to help local causes with cash donations to the Merton Giving Fund and/or non-monetary in-kind support totaling in excess of £60,000.  To continue its work, Merton Giving Week is back for 2019.  In its second year the week marks a dedicated focus on fundraising to help grow the Merton Giving Fund to provide financial support to charities working locally.

 

“CSR is increasingly important for businesses and we like to encourage businesses in Wimbledon to give to their local community, encouraging their staff to develop a meaningful relationship with local charities. Merton Giving provides a structure for this and Love Wimbledon is proud to support this initiative”.

– Helen Clark Bell, CEO, Love Wimbledon 

 

Businesses, community groups and residents across the borough are invited to join in and do whatever takes their fancy during Merton Giving Week, 2nd to 8th December 2019, to raise money to help grow the Merton Giving Fund.

 

For more information about how you can take part visit Merton Chamber of Commerce.