Residents help to raise over £45,000 to combat Sheffield's food waste

The director of a campaign which aims to stamp out food waste in Sheffield said she is '˜stunned' that people helped to raise almost £7,000 towards the cause in one day.
The Real Junk Food Campaign's crowdfunder raised over 45,000 for it to have a permanent base which will allow it to save more junk food from the bin, feed more hungry people and to tackle climate change. Pictured is Jo Hercberg. Picture: Chris EtchellsThe Real Junk Food Campaign's crowdfunder raised over 45,000 for it to have a permanent base which will allow it to save more junk food from the bin, feed more hungry people and to tackle climate change. Pictured is Jo Hercberg. Picture: Chris Etchells
The Real Junk Food Campaign's crowdfunder raised over 45,000 for it to have a permanent base which will allow it to save more junk food from the bin, feed more hungry people and to tackle climate change. Pictured is Jo Hercberg. Picture: Chris Etchells

The Real Junk Food Project Sheffield had hoped to raise £50,000, and although the final total fell just short at £45,911, Jo Hercberg said she was '˜delighted' that people dig deep and helped to raise nearly £7,000 in the final hours of the campaign.

Jo said: 'We're absolutely stunned and delighted with the total raised. On Christmas Eve the whole team were crossing everything in the hope we'd reach the target.

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'The amount of support we had in those final hours was mind blowing. We did fall short of the target but to receive over 90 per cent so close to Christmas really did beat expectations.

'We've taken a bit of time since to work out a spending plan. Whilst £45k is a lot of money, it can soon be eaten up in securing a permanent lease on a premises.

'Our first step is to secure the lease and undertake surveys which we envisage will take two to three months. Once we know where we are, we can look at the kitchen and chilling facilities

'During this time we'll be undertaking a full professional re-brand too so there will be lots happening behind the scenes.'

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Food Works is the new name for The Real Junk Food Project Sheffield, who save over six tonnes of food per week from being wasted.

The project will undergo a full re-brand in the coming months to embrace their new identity and there will also be an interim changeover will begin this month.

The team will also continue with the work they already do at The Real Junk Food Project Sheffield, running two pay-as-you-feel cafés, catering weddings and events, education programmes and the Sharehouse Market at Burngreave under a new, shorter name with a much bigger mission.

Ayone wanting to get involved with the project can do so by volunteering. Full details are available on the website at www.realjunkfoodsheffield.com.

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You can also still contribute to the campaign. The full details are available at www.realjunkfoodsheffield.com/crowdfunder.

You can also support the campaign by buying items from the cafes, at Citrus Café, Zest Centre, Upperthorpe, or Steeple Corner Café, Victoria Centre,  Norfolk Park.