Devon and Cornwall Food Action (DCFA) held a Pop-up Food Hub at the end of April in Okehampton.

The event organised by Okehampton Rotary Club attracted a crowd and 60 large trolley loads of surplus food were distributed raising £1,800 in funds for the work of the charity.

A spokesperson for Okehampton Rotary Club said: "We would like to thank Okehampton Rugby Club for the use of their facilities, Waitrose for allowing us to borrow some large trolleys, and all those in Okehampton who helped us with advertising the event, including the post office.

“People attending the event went away very happy with the produce they had received and their reactions were very positive.”

The Food Pop-up distributed generous bags of food staples for £30 each raising £1,800 to support the vital work of Devon and Cornwall Food Action. (Picture: Okehampton Rotary)
The Food Pop-up distributed generous bags of food staples for £30 each raising £1,800 to support the vital work of Devon and Cornwall Food Action. Picture: Okehampton Rotary. ( )

The pop-up hub offered parcels of food staples donated to DCFA for a £30 charge, enabling the charity to continue its important work of supporting Devon and Cornwall communities with value food.

One visitor at the event, commenting to Rotary, said: “I cannot express how grateful I am feeling, came in feeling really anxious. Completely unnecessary though, as no judgements were made, everyone was so kind, supportive and helpful.

“I am overwhelmed with the amount and quality of food I have received, thank you so much.”

The Okehampton Rotarians unanimously voted to welcome DCFA back for further events, the next scheduled for May 27 at Okehampton Rugby Club. (Picture: Okehampton Rotary)
The Okehampton Rotarians unanimously voted to welcome DCFA back for further events, the next scheduled for May 27 at Okehampton Rugby Club. Picture: Okehampton Rotary. ( )

DCFA takes donations of surplus food from supermarkets and food manufacturers which would otherwise end up going to waste. By redirecting the food, they are able to help those in need but also reduce waste and lower its environmental impact.

In a recent meeting Okehampton Rotary Club members unanimously decided to continue with the pop-up food hub events in conjunction with DCFA. Future dates have already been planned with the next pop-up taking place on May 27 at Okehampton Rugby Club.

No referral is needed but the public do need to register for the food hub, and the charity asks that people using its services pre-order and bring their own shopping bags.