Daniel Zeichner, MP for Cambridge, will today (Thursday 21 June) officially open a new food-club facility called Fairbite™ at Arbury Court, Cambridge. The new food-club is being launched by Cambridge City Foodbank and will enable members to collect food for the cost of a low membership fee. The food-club will assist in tackling supermarket food waste, while supporting families facing financial difficulty, and in a position where they cannot buy food.

Mr Zeichner says: “The financial situation for many is worsening, with too many unable to make ends meet and be able to feed their families. The consequence of this is that there has been a rapid increase in the number of emergency food parcels distributed with Cambridge seeing a 25% increase in the last year, which is higher than the national average. There are also many people that may not necessarily be eligble for an emergency food parcel, but are really struggling with the ever-rising cost of living and stuck in a vicious cycle of poverty. This new food-club will hopefully help people trying to get out of poverty in a more sustainable way.“

“We do not want people to be going hungry and when we know so much food is going to waste, it makes perfect sense to join the two up. I wish the Fairbite™ shop success and congratulate Cambridge City Foodbank for all that they do to coordinate the generoristy of Cambridge residents by delivering these kinds of projects.“

Jon Edney, Project Coordinator for Cambridge City Foodbank said: “The Fairbite™ centre is one way that we can help people climb out of the poverty trap. Poverty is like a spiral that draws people in when their income is just not enough to meet basic needs. By getting food that is excess to supermarket requirements to those that are struggling to feed the family we hope to enable people to get to a better place and have a normal life. We already have twenty families signed up and expect that number to rise.“

Cambridge City Foodbank provided over 7,000 residents emergency food parcels last year. Fairbite™ will be an alternative facility to the foodbank for people struggling to buy enough food for them and their familiy. The project will operate in collaboration with FareShare, a national charity that is tackling food waste by teaming up supermarkets and local charities. The food donated will be from local supermarkets that would otherwise go to waste. Members will be able to select 10 basic items during their visit once or twice a week, which will be covered by their membership fee.

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