31. August 2022

Supporting the community by reducing food waste and food poverty

Kavli Trust has allocated £171,000 donation (NOK 2,1 million) to Cedarwood Trust, an organisation working to eliminate food waste and support people experiencing persistent poverty in North-East England.

The funding from Kavli Trust has been allocated for the period 2022-2023.

“Will help people who are really struggling”

Cedarwood Trust runs a range of activities to reduce food waste and support residents with low incomes living in the Meadow Well Estate, North Tyneside to have increased health, education, leisure and economic opportunities.​ 

Cedarwood Trust CEO Wayne Dobson believes the donation could be a huge step toward the charity becoming self-sustainable and will help it tackle poverty in the region.

In a press release from Kavli UK Dobson said: “This will help people who are really struggling at the moment. There are a lot of hidden costs associated with cooking, for example gas and electricity which are costing more than ever, and these meals negate those extra costs for people.”

He also points out that the money they make also will help Cedarwood Trust to reach a level of self-sustainability.

“It will be reinvested straight back into the Trust and the various services that we offer, that are dedicated to fighting poverty on the Meadow Well Estate and further afield in the North East.”

Read the full press release here

Redistributing surplus food

One of Cedarwood Trust’s core activities is to reduce food waste and redistribute it to people with low incomes. This is done through their own services to target groups, and by redistributing food to other non-profit organisations.

The organisation also runs a community membership store, Nourish Store. The members of the store pay a small monthly fee and can pick items for a weekly amount from the store.

Cedarwood Trust also produces frozen free meals that are delivered to people who need it. The meals are produced by their own catering team, providing vocational training to young people.

In this way, Cedarwood Trust contributes to good climate solutions, at the same time giving people in need access to healthy and nutritious food.

More sustainable production

Cedarwood Trust will use the funding from Kavli Trust to create a more sustainable alternative for cooking and redistributing surplus food to non-profit organisations in North Tyneside.

The organisation has calculated the climate impact of the business in its existing form, and have identified a number of areas that can be improved to reduce the climate footprint.

The project called “Nourish Meals” will be run in collaboration with food chains, food banks and local businesses.

The goal is to streamline the value chain so that they can collect and redistribute more surplus food, and make the whole process more climate friendly. This will be done through the use of electric vans and more sustainable recyclable food packaging.

More places at Nurture Academy

The funding will also enable the charity to increase the number of places available at its Nurture Academy, which is run by Cedarwood’s catering team and provides culinary-related qualifications for young people. Trainees prepare meals for the charity’s Nurture Bistro and their local community.

New energy efficient kitchen

The funding will also ensure the establishment of a new, energy-efficient commercial kitchen developed for low energy consumption. The kitchen will collect and coordinate food production for other, smaller organisations in a more efficient and environmentally-friendly way.

In the start-up phase, production of a minimum of 100 meals a week is planned.

The project has a holistic approach to climate, sustainable consumption and production and is well aligned with Kavli Trust’s priority areas for climate and environment solutions.

GIFT CHECK: Kavli UK representatives handed over a gift check with the donation to Cedar Wood Trust this summer. Photo: Kavli UK

In their press release Paul Lewney, managing director at Kavli UK, said: “Charity is at the heart of everything we do as a business, with all profits from the sale of our products, including Primula Cheese and Castle Maclellan supporting good causes.

“As an organisation, we’re incredibly proud to have been sustainably investing in communities for sixty years.”

“We’re delighted that Kavli Trust has selected Cedarwood Trust to receive funding of £172,000. Incredibly, studies suggest that 30-40% of all food grown is not eaten, so we look forward to seeing the positive impact of reducing food waste on both our local community and the environment.”

Read more: Funding ‘green kitchen’ that will help feed thousands

BACKGROUND

  • Cedarwood Trust is a 40-year-old charity organisation run by 17 employees as well as volunteers.
  • The organisation focuses on the following core themes:
    Pastoral care
    Food poverty/ Nourish Store
    Child development
    Vocational training for young people
    Catering academy
    Community care

Read more about the organisation here

Follow Cedarwood Trust in social media:

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