The Community Fridge, Frome
Enjoy our Frome fridges at:
📍 The Loop de Loop in Frome Town Centre
Open 9am to 5pm daily
📍 Behind the Town Hall (access from Park Rd)
Open 8am to 7pm daily
The fridge is open to all: its mission is to make Frome a waste free town.
Your support makes the Community Fridge Frome possible
Consider a small donation to help the project fight food waste, and make surplus food free and accessible for everyone
About Us
The Frome Community Fridge was the very first of its kind in the UK. It began in 2015 as part of an Edventure Frome start-up course, in collaboration with Frome Town Council, where local people came together to turn bold ideas into real community projects.
Today, the fridge is run by a dedicated team of volunteers, led by manager Terri Pitts. Every day, the team collects surplus food from local shops, supermarkets, growers, making it freely available for everyone in the community to share.
Support the Community Fridge
Your support helps us sustain and grow the Community Fridge, Frome.
Your donations help to:
– Keep the project alive and cover costs
– Fund training so we can increase our volunteer network, get more food in the fridge and save more food from waste
– Grow our impact with new community fridge projects (new locations, helping others setup fridges)
EYE SPY @ THE FROME COMMUNITY FRIDGE!
I SPY WITH MY MONSTER EYE A NEW GAME TO PLAY…
How To Play
Getting Started
Playing The Game
You have a bag of Oranges to donate. Your card has an O? Cross it off!
You find a delicious Cake in the community fridge. Your card has a C? Cross it off!
Win Amazing Prizes!
Complete Your Card = Win! 🎉
Cross off all the circles on your card and you’re eligible for an amazing prize:
Monster Sticker Pack
Pick up your stickers from Frome Library or the Town Hall
🎨 Create Your Monster!
Mix and match your stickers to create your own unique monster. Have fun deciding where they go, doesn’t have to be on your bin!
💡 Important Tips
- Take your time! There’s no rush to complete your card
- Only pick food you’ll eat – we’re here to reduce real food waste
- Don’t empty your cupboards! Only donate what you genuinely want to, and come back a few times to find the foods you need to complete your game
- Plenty of stickers available! Everyone gets a chance to win
- Many cards to complete! Keep playing and collecting
The Climate Emergency and Frome’s Zero Waste Movement
The Frome Community Fridge is a practical, grassroots solution to this global challenge. By redistributing surplus food, we:
- Cut carbon emissions – every item shared instead of binned reduces the environmental impact of wasted food. We have saved over 2522 tonnes of CO2 in the last 7 years – equivalent to 546, 250 meals!
- Keep resources in use – preventing waste is one of the most effective ways of moving towards a circular economy.
- Build community resilience – by sharing resources, we strengthen local connections and ensure food reaches people, not landfill.
- Inspire wider change – our fridge was the first in the UK, and has helped inspire hundreds of similar initiatives nationwide.
The fridge sits alongside other community-led efforts in Frome — from composting and repair cafés to reuse stores and local growing projects — forming part of a bigger movement for a fairer, greener future. By using the fridge, volunteering, or donating, you are directly contributing to Frome’s journey towards zero waste and climate action.
That’s good food on plates, not in bins.
The success of Frome’s fridge has inspired a national movement. More than 700 community fridges have since opened across the country through Hubbub’s Community Fridge Network. Along the way, the fridge has even appeared on Jamie and Jimmy’s Saturday Night Food Feast (2017) Countryfile (2019) and Escape to the Country (2021), putting Frome firmly on the map as a pioneer in tackling food waste.
Your support helps us to sustain and grow this much-loved community project; reducing waste, cutting emissions, and building a stronger, more resilient Frome.
Why give away free food to everyone?
Food waste is one of the hidden drivers of the climate emergency. Globally, it is responsible for 8–10% of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions — more than the entire aviation industry (IPCC / FAO). When food is thrown away, it breaks down into a mix of methane and carbon dioxide, producing up to 70 million tonnes of methane each year — more than from coal mining and natural gas leaks combined (UNEP).
In the UK alone, we waste around 5 million tonnes of edible food every year (WRAP). In high-income countries, up to 35% of food is discarded by consumers. This is not just a waste of money, but of all the land, water, and energy that went into growing, transporting, and storing it.Research led by Frome Town Council in 2019 showed the potential impact of community fridges. This work is now used nationally by organisations such as WRAP and FareShare to evidence the value of food-waste redistribution. On average, a community fridge redistributes 500 kg of food each month, saving the equivalent of 2.1 tonnes of CO₂ emissions. The busiest fridges redistribute up to 4 tonnes each month, preventing nearly 17 tonnes of CO₂ emissions. Over the course of a year, the average fridge avoids more than 25 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions (Hubbub – Community Fridge Network).By making surplus food available to everyone, the Frome Community Fridge plays its part in tackling this global challenge while supporting local people. It means less waste, fewer emissions, and more food on plates instead of in bins. And sometimes it’s the small things — like spotting a pineapple you haven’t had in ages — that can brighten a whole day.
FAQs
Who is the fridge for?
Everyone! The Community Fridge Frome is open to all. Its mission is to reduce food waste by redistributing surplus food that would otherwise go to landfill. By using the fridge, you are helping the environment, supporting a culture of sharing, and making good food accessible to the community.
What is the Community Fridge Frome?
The Community Fridge Frome was the first of its kind in the UK, launched in 2015. It is part of a growing national network of community fridges that save thousands of tonnes of food each year. Our fridge helps people connect, access nutritious food, save money, and reduce waste — all while taking local action on climate change.
Is it like a food bank? Do I need a voucher?
No. Unlike food banks, the fridge does not require a referral or voucher. The fridge is open during the opening times for anyone to take whatever is on the shelf. The food we provide is surplus — donated by supermarkets, local shops, farms, households, and allotments. The fridge is designed to tackle food waste first and foremost, though it also helps people stretch their food budgets.
How does it work?
Our volunteers collect surplus food daily from local supermarkets, shops, and businesses. We also receive fresh produce from allotments and households. All food is weighed, checked, and displayed in the fridge for anyone to take. Everything is free of charge — simply come along, take what you need, and play your part in preventing waste.
Who runs the fridge?
Community Fridge Frome is run by Edventure Frome CIC, together with local volunteers and community partners. It relies on the dedication of Terri Pitts our long standing manager and our volunteers who collect, sort, and manage food supplies. The fridge has inspired hundreds of other community fridges across the UK.
Can I drop off food items from home?
Yes — we welcome donations from households and allotments. All packaged food must be unopened, in good condition, and within two days of its use-by date. We can accept home-grown fruit and vegetables. Unfortunately, we cannot accept eggs and raw meat.
How is the fridge funded?
The fridge is supported through grants, donations, and partnerships with local businesses. It costs money to run — covering collection, electricity, equipment, our Coordinator, and volunteer support — so every donation makes a difference. If you’d like to contribute, you can donate online, or get in touch about sponsorship opportunities.
How can I get involved?
There are many ways to support the fridge:
1. Volunteer to help with collections, sorting, or welcoming visitors
2. Donate surplus produce from your home, allotment, or business
3. Make a financial contribution to help keep the fridge running
4. Spread the word and encourage others to use the fridge
Together, we can reduce waste, share resources, and make Frome a more resilient community.
Supported by
Our partners
Award-winning
Philip Campagna, presented Terri Pitts with a Mayor’s commendation in October 2023, for all the fantastic work she does for the Community Fridge: Frome.
Frome’s Community Fridge was the winner of the Innovation in Politics Awards 2019 in the category of “COMMUNITY”.
Terri Pitts, Community Fridge Manager, won the BBC Make A Difference Green Award in 2023
In 2021, Terri received a Mayor’s Civic Award for her work: making sure the fridge is always stocked with food that would otherwise be wasted. More here.
Support us
Donate to keep surplus food free and accessible for everyone
Open to everyone, the Community Fridge reduces food waste by redistributing good surplus food so it reaches people, not bins. Frome launched the UK’s first community fridge in 2015 with Edventure and Frome Town Council, and it is still volunteer powered today. Regular monthly donations make the biggest difference, helping us plan ahead and keep the fridge running every week of the year. But whether you give once or regularly, every donation helps us keep the fridge running and food out of waste – thank you!
1 Choose an amount
2 Pick your donation type
Monthly donations help us plan ahead and keep the fridge open all year.
3 Confirm your gift
Payment processing by GoCardless. We do not store your card or bank details. You will be redirected to complete your donation securely.
If you would like to donate a larger amount, thank you. Please email hello@edventurefrome.org and we will help you make your gift.