Community larder to reduce food waste and ease household bills could be set up in Dalneigh area of Inverness
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
An Inverness neighbourhood is exploring the possibility of setting up a community larder in a bid to reduce food waste and ease household bills.
A community-wide exercise is being carried out to gauge the level of interest and support for such a venture among residents in Dalneigh.
If the project goes ahead, it will ultimately be led by the community but Highland Council is supporting the set-up. It is supported by North Highland Climate Hub which is carrying out the community engagement and leaflet drop, seeking people’s ideas.
As the cost-of-living crisis deepens, one disabled resident in Dalneigh spoke of how she and her family are struggling with rising bills and energy costs.
She also felt there were many disabled people who were not getting proper help and that there were children going hungry.
Sam, who did not want to give her full name, lives with her husband, who is her full-time carer, and their two children who are at primary school.
She said the gas and electricity bill for last month had risen to about £250 whereas previously it was about £80 or £90-a-month.
“I had to telephone our energy company and say I cannot afford to pay these bills,” said Sam, who has a neurological pain condition which was diagnosed about 15 years ago.
“They have put us on a smart meter apparently because that makes it cheaper. But I don’t see how it is making it cheaper.”
She has also turned to boiling a kettle on the gas hob rather than using an electric kettle in a bid to cut costs.
Her two adult children, who do not live at home, help out occasionally but she said they were finding it hard, too.
“We are paying a mortgage – that luckily is not going up,” she said.
“But with bills, we are struggling.
“We have a broken window at the moment but we cannot afford to have the double glazing put back in so our bedroom is not going to be useable.
“But I am not even the worst off here.
“We are just about getting through.
“There are people who are going to be 10 times worse off than us.”
Community fridge aims to cut food waste
The idea of a community larder in Dalneigh has the backing of Inverness Central SNP councillor Kate MacLean.
“I am fully supportive of community larders, and delighted that Dalneigh is making great inroads into setting one up,” she said.
“Not only do they help towards easing the household bills, but they also contribute to avoiding food waste.
“Supermarkets and other food suppliers across the patch have been really helpful with stocking these, and the volunteers go above and beyond, early and late, to collect food and stock the cupboards.”
Cllr MacLean said she had visited the community larder in Ardconnel Street and found it was always well stocked but said the larder table in Merkinch seemed to be less well used and wondered if it was due to it being inside a building.
Cllr MacLean is also trying to encourage community groups to apply for cost of living grants from Highland Council, which agreed in September to create a £450,000 fund. It aims to enable community groups to provide local activities or provide support to individuals and families during the winter months.
