Biffa plc

12/15/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 12/15/2021 11:10

New Community Shop for Knottingley

16 December 2021

New Community Shop for Knottingley

Community Shop, the award-winning social enterprise which provides members with access to deeply discounted food as well as life changing learning and development programmes has opened its 8th UK store in Knottingley, West Yorkshire.

The aim of Community Shop is to help individuals and build more confident communities. It's funded by donations from supplier partners and offers food and household products from well-known brands at deeply discounted prices. For those on the cusp of food poverty, this vital access helps to feed families while making sure that perfectly good products don't go to waste.

Community Shop is the not-for-profit community interest arm of Company Shop Group (CSG), which Biffa acquired earlier this year, the UK's leading redistributor of surplus food and household products. CSG helps to identify surplus products, then collects, processes, and redistributes these to its eight Community Stores across the UK. Biffa is just one of a handful of partners who has funded the Knottingley store, giving eligible local community members access to high-quality, low-cost food and household products. Biffa's contribution also helps deliver support through life-changing personal development programmes that deliver real change for individuals and communities.

The store, which will serve around 750 members, opened on 15th December and has been supported by Biffa, The Coalfields Regeneration Trust, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, Ocado, Bakkavor, Wakefield Council and WDH.

Building a circular economy, including reducing food waste, is one of Biffa's key sustainability pillars and the company has targeted itself to unlock £1.25bn of investment in the green economy by 2030. The CSG acquisition will help to redistribute some of the 141,000 tonnes of surplus produce which goes to waste each year.

David Bird, Chief Operating Officer at Biffa, commented: "It's a privilege to be able to support the roll-out of Community Shop and make a real difference to these communities. They not only provide members with vital access to food, but life-changing learning and development programmes."

Community Shop was recently presented with a Queen's Award for Enterprise in the Promoting Opportunity category for its work for in empowering local communities across the UK. Community Shop received praise for its sustainable support model that creates transformative change to build stronger individuals, and more confident communities.

ENDS

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