Ferndown larder tackling food waste and fresh food deprivation

Since mid-April Hannah Hobbs-Chell has been running the larder she started in Ferndown Day Centre for people who need access to free food or want to cut down on food waste. 

Speaking of her reasons to set it up, Hannah said: “It’s been a dream and an ambition of mine. 

“We always wanted it to be unique, so we tried to staff it up as many days as we could.  

“We chose to open at times which fit around school finishing and when people are going home."

Long-life goods at the larder in Ferndown

Starting the larder at the beginning of the pandemic, Hannah said access for all to fresh food is something she is passionate about. She added: “It’s always been a thing of mine that people access fresh food.  

“It bugs me that people don’t firstly have access to fresh food, secondly don’t know how to grow it and lastly don’t know how to use it. 

“Fresh food is really import for your mental health.” 

Food is donated by nearby shops and supermarkets who would otherwise throw the leftover food away. 

The event runs from 2-5pm Monday to Saturday

Hannah said there is still a “huge stigma” when it comes to people needing free food. She said: “I hate it. You can see it in people’s eyes and the way they behave in their body language. It’s heart breaking.  

“Some will come in and apologise and I tell them not to because we’ve all been in difficult situations where we need support from others. We’re very much a community here.”  

Laura Collins, a volunteer who also works in a school, said: “I was aware that we didn’t have a foodbank or a community larder in Ferndown.  

“I put some enquiries out with regards to a larder and found out that Ferndown Community Support were looking to do the same thing, so we got together to save food waste and to offer a service for our local communities to come down.” 

The larder is open from 2pm to 5pm Monday to Friday and 10.30am to 1pm every Saturday.