New funding will allow a further 50 of the projects to be created across the UK over the next two years

An initiative which aims to distribute unwanted food in the community is set to expand.

The world’s first Community Fridge Network will double in size by the end of 2020 thanks to National Lottery funding, environmental charity Hubbub announced this week.

Following the success of the first 50 Community Fridges in the UK, the charity aims to support the opening of a further 50 sites over the next 22 months.

Founded by Hubbub in July 2017, the Community Fridge Network and fridges within the network have been funded by backers including The National Lottery Community Fund, Sainsbury’s, and the Climate Challenge Fund.

The network launched with the aim of reducing food waste in the UK. Community Fridges provide a place for local residents and businesses to donate surplus food, which is available for anyone in the community to take – with each fridge on average saving half a tonne of food per month.

As well as reducing food waste, the fridges encourage a spirit of sharing and can help strengthen community bonds and increase local activities.

Food waste remains a huge issue in the UK, with £13 billion of edible food thrown away from our homes every year and a further £3 billion of food wasted by the hospitality and food service sector.

Trewin Restorick, founder and chief executive of Hubbub, said: “We’re thrilled with how successful Community Fridges have been and the rapid growth of the network. The fridges not only save valuable food, they help bring people together and have become real community hubs.

“Some people had doubts at the outset as to whether the Community Fridge Network would work, but the fridges have developed to be positive, social spaces that have proven the doubters wrong.”