LEADIN

Food poverty has been rising in the UK, in the wake of years of economic austerity.

Now the Conservative government has called a snap-election on June 8, increasing uncertainty about future government policies.

Community activists in London are providing free meals and a food-sharing fridge to help low-income residents and reduce food waste.

STORYLINE

Cranberry and walnut cakes sell for a couple of pounds (2.5 USD) at the Ritzy Cinema cafe in Brixton, south London.

But many are often thrown away once they've reached their best before dates, contributing to food waste in the local community.

That's despite the fact that they are still perfectly good to eat and there are plenty of mouths that would want them.

But there's a new community effort to hold back the tide of discarded processed and fresh goods.

A group of 25 food activists people came up with the idea of starting a People's Fridge, in a shared workspace for start-ups, small businesses and social entrepreneurs, called Impact Hub Brixton.

The People's Fridge is a public fridge where local businesses and residents can leave spare, edible food for others.

And so employees at the Ritzy Cinema now bring their cafe's surplus cakes for people in the community to have for free, rather than sending it to landfill.

"We heard about it, a staff member had come down and heard about the project and it just seemed like a great idea," says Sarah Cook, the Ritzy Cinema's Marketing Manager.

"Businesses like ours, we waste a lot of food off, to then donate it to people in need and help support the community in Brixton, which we are a big part of, is kind of important to us."

Organisers held a crowdfunding campaign to get the fridge project started, raising more than £2,000 (2,556 USD).

Volunteers run the fridge to cut food waste, encourage food sharing and help tackle food poverty.

One of the co-founders, Rebecca Trevalyan, says after a couple of months of the fridge being open there's brisk activity.

"We're seeing lots of donations coming into the fridge, it has been certainly full over the last couple of weeks," Trevalyan says.

According to the founders, food waste is a big issue in the UK valued at around £17 billion (21bn USD) each year, with restaurants throwing away 900,000 tonnes of food annually.

"In terms of demand for it, and need for food, we know that increasing numbers of people are turning to food banks, unfortunately, and we know that food banks don't currently offer fresh food," Trevalyan says.

"There is therefore a gap for the fridge in providing that fresh source of food, but also being a smart way to deal with food surplus."

Trevalyan adds that it is not only the very poor who are in need of help.

"There are lots of people who are in work who are receiving an income but who still can't afford the rising costs of food and who really benefit from such initiatives.

"Here, from my experience, it certainly feels like there is demand and the demand is rising."

The fridge appears to be mutually beneficial.

"Food we've put on the shelves, or had put on the shelves is generally leaving the shelves within 36 hours of it being there," Trevalyan says.

The founders were inspired by similar fridges in Spain, Germany, and India as well as Somerset and Derbyshire in the UK. But this is the first time the concept has been brought to London.

They know that the fridge will not end the issue of food poverty, but it is one of a number of methods which can be used to combat the problem.

This is as UK welfare benefits have been cut over recent years.

According to the Trussell Trust, that runs food banks across the UK, it distributed more than 519,000 three-day emergency food supplies to people in crisis from April to September 2016. That's up from about 113,000 such parcels for the same period in 2012.

It says the primary reasons for food bank referral are benefit changes and delays and low incomes, issues some say are at risk further from a potentially weakened UK economy post Brexit.

Now that a general election in the UK has been called for 8 June, uncertainty is rife.

One organisation offering free meals in 34 locations across the country, has already seen greater pressure on its services in recent years.

"About a year and a half ago, a local drop in centre for elderly people closed down. It used to serve a hot meal everyday for people over the age of 50," says Alex Cameron, a volunteer at the charity Food Cycle in London's Marylebone.

"And with the closure of that, lots of people were left without a central place to come and meet. It was really damaging to the community actually,"

Food Cycle aims to relieve food poverty and provide a community for people to be a part of. It takes food surplus donations, primarily from supermarkets, and cooks meals for people to attend.

Since the referendum on the UK's membership of the European Union in June 2016, the country has already seen price rises in imported food products, as the British sterling has fallen in value. Food prices are expected to grow by between 5 percent and 8 percent in 2017, according to the Food and Drink Federation.

Cameron says she has seen an impact already: "Well, I have to admit I've noticed that the price of the butter that we buy goes up.

"So as a charity we're going to have to start spending more on the extra food that we buy to compliment the food that's surplus.

"I also think that it will have a knock-on effect when basic ingredients and foods go up in price. These are the people that are most affected by that."

One analyst says further inflation and economic instability as the Brexit process completes could increase the already record number of people using free food sources.

"I think Brexit is going to have a negative impact on incomes across the whole spectrum, high-income earners and low-income earners. But the difference is that low-income earners have less room for manoeuvre," says Sarah Boumphrey, Director of Economies and Consumers at the market researchers Euromonitor.

The team behind the People's Fridge think that, if their project is successful, they can help others set up community fridges across the UK.

And, although they may not want it, conditions may be right for just that.

London, UK - 12 April 2017

1. Various two employees of the Ritzy Cinema in Brixton, delivering cakes to the People's Fridge

2. Can of soup and box of cranberry and walnut cakes in the People's Fridge

3. Tilt down fridge

4. Rack focus of sign on fridge reading (English) "I help cut food waste"

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Sarah Cook, Marketing Manager, Ritzy Cinema:

"We heard about it, a staff member had come down and heard about the project and it just seemed like a great idea. Businesses like ours, we waste a lot of food off, to then donate it to people who are in need and help support the community in Brixton, which we are a big part of, is kind of important to us."

6. Pan right of street in Brixton to exterior of Ritzy Cinema

7. Various of people in the Ritzy Cinema bar and cafe eating and drinking

8. Various of person taking food from the People's Fridge

9. Set up shot of Rebecca Trevalyan, co-founder of the People's Fridge

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Rebecca Trevalyan, co-founder of the People's Fridge:

"Food we've put on the shelves, or we've had put on the shelves is generally leaving the shelves within 36 hours of it being there."

11. Various of onions and greens in the fridge

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Rebecca Trevalyan, co-founder of the People's Fridge:

"We're seeing lots of donations coming into the fridge, it has been certainly full over the last couple of weeks. In terms of demand for it, and need for food, we know that increasing numbers of people are turning to food banks unfortunately and we know that food banks don't currently offer fresh food. There is therefore a gap for the fridge in providing that fresh source of food, but also being a smart way to deal with food surplus."

13. People walking past fridge

14. Food items in the fridge

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Rebecca Trevalyan, co-founder of the People's Fridge:

"There are lots of people who are in work who are receiving an income, but who still can't afford the rising costs of food and who really benefit from such initiatives. Here, from my experience, it certainly feels like there is demand and the demand is rising."

16. Various of people eating at a dinner held by Food Cycle in a church in Marylebone

17. Maggie at the table with other diners

18. Maggie in front of a bowl of food

19. SOUNDBITE (English) Maggie (No last name given), Marylebone resident

"Oh, it helps you a lot really. If you are only on your pension. But yes, very, very good. It's good all round and they're lovely people here."

20. Volunteers preparing food in the kitchen

21. Volunteer Alex Cameron serving diners

22. SOUNDBITE (English) Alex Cameron, volunteer:

"About a year and a half ago, a local drop in centre for elderly people closed down. It used to serve a hot meal everyday for people over the age of 50. And with the closure of that lots of people were left without a central place to come and meet. It was really damaging to the community actually."

23. Volunteer preparing food in the kitchen

24. SOUNDBITE (English) Alex Cameron, volunteer:

"Well, I have to admit I've noticed that the price of the butter that we buy goes up. So as a charity we're going to have to start spending more on the extra food that we buy to compliment the food that's surplus. I also think that it will have a knock-on effect when basic ingredients and foods go up in price, these are the people that are most affected by that."

25. Various of woman eating

26. Set up shot of Sarah Boumphrey, Director, Economies and Consumers for market researchers Euromonitor

27. SOUNDBITE (English) Sarah Boumphrey, Director, Economies and Consumers for Euromonitor:

"I think Brexit is going to have a negative impact on incomes across the whole spectrum, high-income earners and low-income earners. But the difference is that low-income earners have less room for manoeuvre. They can't direct their spending elsewhere. They can't save less to help with higher food prices. So they have less of a security net."

28. A diner at Food Cycle

29. An empty bowl

30. Diners at Food Cycle

31. Various of a man taking food from the People's Fridge

LEADIN

Food poverty has been rising in the UK, in the wake of years of economic austerity.

Now the Conservative government has called a snap-election on June 8, increasing uncertainty about future government policies.

Community activists in London are providing free meals and a food-sharing fridge to help low-income residents and reduce food waste.

STORYLINE

Cranberry and walnut cakes sell for a couple of pounds (2.5 USD) at the Ritzy Cinema cafe in Brixton, south London.

But many are often thrown away once they've reached their best before dates, contributing to food waste in the local community.

That's despite the fact that they are still perfectly good to eat and there are plenty of mouths that would want them.

But there's a new community effort to hold back the tide of discarded processed and fresh goods.

A group of 25 food activists people came up with the idea of starting a People's Fridge, in a shared workspace for start-ups, small businesses and social entrepreneurs, called Impact Hub Brixton.

The People's Fridge is a public fridge where local businesses and residents can leave spare, edible food for others.

And so employees at the Ritzy Cinema now bring their cafe's surplus cakes for people in the community to have for free, rather than sending it to landfill.

"We heard about it, a staff member had come down and heard about the project and it just seemed like a great idea," says Sarah Cook, the Ritzy Cinema's Marketing Manager.

"Businesses like ours, we waste a lot of food off, to then donate it to people in need and help support the community in Brixton, which we are a big part of, is kind of important to us."

Organisers held a crowdfunding campaign to get the fridge project started, raising more than £2,000 (2,556 USD).

Volunteers run the fridge to cut food waste, encourage food sharing and help tackle food poverty.

One of the co-founders, Rebecca Trevalyan, says after a couple of months of the fridge being open there's brisk activity.

"We're seeing lots of donations coming into the fridge, it has been certainly full over the last couple of weeks," Trevalyan says.

According to the founders, food waste is a big issue in the UK valued at around £17 billion (21bn USD) each year, with restaurants throwing away 900,000 tonnes of food annually.

"In terms of demand for it, and need for food, we know that increasing numbers of people are turning to food banks, unfortunately, and we know that food banks don't currently offer fresh food," Trevalyan says.

"There is therefore a gap for the fridge in providing that fresh source of food, but also being a smart way to deal with food surplus."

Trevalyan adds that it is not only the very poor who are in need of help.

"There are lots of people who are in work who are receiving an income but who still can't afford the rising costs of food and who really benefit from such initiatives.

"Here, from my experience, it certainly feels like there is demand and the demand is rising."

The fridge appears to be mutually beneficial.

"Food we've put on the shelves, or had put on the shelves is generally leaving the shelves within 36 hours of it being there," Trevalyan says.

The founders were inspired by similar fridges in Spain, Germany, and India as well as Somerset and Derbyshire in the UK. But this is the first time the concept has been brought to London.

They know that the fridge will not end the issue of food poverty, but it is one of a number of methods which can be used to combat the problem.

This is as UK welfare benefits have been cut over recent years.

According to the Trussell Trust, that runs food banks across the UK, it distributed more than 519,000 three-day emergency food supplies to people in crisis from April to September 2016. That's up from about 113,000 such parcels for the same period in 2012.

It says the primary reasons for food bank referral are benefit changes and delays and low incomes, issues some say are at risk further from a potentially weakened UK economy post Brexit.

Now that a general election in the UK has been called for 8 June, uncertainty is rife.

One organisation offering free meals in 34 locations across the country, has already seen greater pressure on its services in recent years.

"About a year and a half ago, a local drop in centre for elderly people closed down. It used to serve a hot meal everyday for people over the age of 50," says Alex Cameron, a volunteer at the charity Food Cycle in London's Marylebone.

"And with the closure of that, lots of people were left without a central place to come and meet. It was really damaging to the community actually,"

Food Cycle aims to relieve food poverty and provide a community for people to be a part of. It takes food surplus donations, primarily from supermarkets, and cooks meals for people to attend.

Since the referendum on the UK's membership of the European Union in June 2016, the country has already seen price rises in imported food products, as the British sterling has fallen in value. Food prices are expected to grow by between 5 percent and 8 percent in 2017, according to the Food and Drink Federation.

Cameron says she has seen an impact already: "Well, I have to admit I've noticed that the price of the butter that we buy goes up.

"So as a charity we're going to have to start spending more on the extra food that we buy to compliment the food that's surplus.

"I also think that it will have a knock-on effect when basic ingredients and foods go up in price. These are the people that are most affected by that."

One analyst says further inflation and economic instability as the Brexit process completes could increase the already record number of people using free food sources.

"I think Brexit is going to have a negative impact on incomes across the whole spectrum, high-income earners and low-income earners. But the difference is that low-income earners have less room for manoeuvre," says Sarah Boumphrey, Director of Economies and Consumers at the market researchers Euromonitor.

The team behind the People's Fridge think that, if their project is successful, they can help others set up community fridges across the UK.

And, although they may not want it, conditions may be right for just that.

London, UK - 12 April 2017

1. Various two employees of the Ritzy Cinema in Brixton, delivering cakes to the People's Fridge

2. Can of soup and box of cranberry and walnut cakes in the People's Fridge

3. Tilt down fridge

4. Rack focus of sign on fridge reading (English) "I help cut food waste"

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Sarah Cook, Marketing Manager, Ritzy Cinema:

"We heard about it, a staff member had come down and heard about the project and it just seemed like a great idea. Businesses like ours, we waste a lot of food off, to then donate it to people who are in need and help support the community in Brixton, which we are a big part of, is kind of important to us."

6. Pan right of street in Brixton to exterior of Ritzy Cinema

7. Various of people in the Ritzy Cinema bar and cafe eating and drinking

8. Various of person taking food from the People's Fridge

9. Set up shot of Rebecca Trevalyan, co-founder of the People's Fridge

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Rebecca Trevalyan, co-founder of the People's Fridge:

"Food we've put on the shelves, or we've had put on the shelves is generally leaving the shelves within 36 hours of it being there."

11. Various of onions and greens in the fridge

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Rebecca Trevalyan, co-founder of the People's Fridge:

"We're seeing lots of donations coming into the fridge, it has been certainly full over the last couple of weeks. In terms of demand for it, and need for food, we know that increasing numbers of people are turning to food banks unfortunately and we know that food banks don't currently offer fresh food. There is therefore a gap for the fridge in providing that fresh source of food, but also being a smart way to deal with food surplus."

13. People walking past fridge

14. Food items in the fridge

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Rebecca Trevalyan, co-founder of the People's Fridge:

"There are lots of people who are in work who are receiving an income, but who still can't afford the rising costs of food and who really benefit from such initiatives. Here, from my experience, it certainly feels like there is demand and the demand is rising."

16. Various of people eating at a dinner held by Food Cycle in a church in Marylebone

17. Maggie at the table with other diners

18. Maggie in front of a bowl of food

19. SOUNDBITE (English) Maggie (No last name given), Marylebone resident

"Oh, it helps you a lot really. If you are only on your pension. But yes, very, very good. It's good all round and they're lovely people here."

20. Volunteers preparing food in the kitchen

21. Volunteer Alex Cameron serving diners

22. SOUNDBITE (English) Alex Cameron, volunteer:

"About a year and a half ago, a local drop in centre for elderly people closed down. It used to serve a hot meal everyday for people over the age of 50. And with the closure of that lots of people were left without a central place to come and meet. It was really damaging to the community actually."

23. Volunteer preparing food in the kitchen

24. SOUNDBITE (English) Alex Cameron, volunteer:

"Well, I have to admit I've noticed that the price of the butter that we buy goes up. So as a charity we're going to have to start spending more on the extra food that we buy to compliment the food that's surplus. I also think that it will have a knock-on effect when basic ingredients and foods go up in price, these are the people that are most affected by that."

25. Various of woman eating

26. Set up shot of Sarah Boumphrey, Director, Economies and Consumers for market researchers Euromonitor

27. SOUNDBITE (English) Sarah Boumphrey, Director, Economies and Consumers for Euromonitor:

"I think Brexit is going to have a negative impact on incomes across the whole spectrum, high-income earners and low-income earners. But the difference is that low-income earners have less room for manoeuvre. They can't direct their spending elsewhere. They can't save less to help with higher food prices. So they have less of a security net."

28. A diner at Food Cycle

29. An empty bowl

30. Diners at Food Cycle

31. Various of a man taking food from the People's Fridge