March 10th, 2025.



A public appeal to save a vital food waste prevention and rapid prioritised redistribution project from closure has topped £10,000 of is £30,000 fundraising target.

Havens Food Cooperative, a project of Havens Community Hub, went public last week when the lack of available funding, which they described as a 'perfect storm', threatened its existence.

"I can't believe the outpouring of support and recognition of what our amazing team of 50 volunteers and one member of staff achieve," said founder of the Hub, Paula Woolven BEM. "The impact of saving three tonnes of usable surplus perishable food per week and rapidly redistributing it to families, individuals, food banks, small charities and groups and our pop-up pantry partners is incredible and I'm so thankful for everyone who wants us to continue."

Anne Clark, Managing Director of MCL Transport Consultants Ltd, made the largest single donation of £5,000 last week.
She commented: "We should do everything we can to save a local project that does a marvellous, unique job collecting perishable supermarket food and helping people and the environment. I am honoured to know some of their amazing volunteers. I hope others can do the same and save this very worthwhile cause."

Long-time supporter Mark Boxall, of Shoreline Accounts in Seaford, added £500 to the pot. He said: "I'd love to be able to volunteer for this fantastic community service, but because of my time constraints, I'm happy to donate instead to try and help. I hope they raise enough to continue to help hundreds of people through family support and the other groups and food banks they partner with."

Other messages accompanying donations have included:

" I hope you get the funds you need to continue your fantastic work."

"Thanks for helping the community; we hope it keeps going."

"You do an amazing job. Don't give up!"

"Such an important service. I hope you hit your target!"

The project, which has won the Best Environmental Business Award at the Seahaven Business Awards for three consecutive years and was runner-up in the Green Category at the BBC Sussex and Surrey 'Make A Difference' Awards in 2024 makes nearly 5,000 individual collections at the end of the day from 19 supermarkets between Saltdean and Seaford every year, and is open 365 days a year at its base in Denton.

"For every £1 donated to Havens Food Cooperative, we save and rapidly redistribute £8 of food back into the community and prevent it from ending up in landfill, where it was taken before our project started during lockdown in 2020," explained Paula. "I can't thank everyone enough for rallying around to try and save us at the 11th hour. There are just too many people to thank individually, but you all know who you are!"

To donate to the fundraiser go to: https://localgiving.org/fundraising/savethefood