The SAVE Food Hub in Sidmouth is on the lookout for new volunteers to help run and expand the service.

Food hubs operate differently from food banks in that they are not aimed at helping people on low incomes. Instead their purpose is to ensure that good food doesn't get thrown away.

SAVE Food Hub is based at the Dissenter's Chapel on All Saints Road and is open on Tuesday, Thursday and some Friday evenings from 8pm until 8.45pm. It is one of five hubs in East Devon, the others being in Seaton, Axminster, Colyton and Axmouth.

There are at least two volunteers per session, and their role is to collect the food from the Co-op and transport it the short distance to the hall on a trolley. The food is then weighed and photographed and the photo shared on the SAVE Food Hub WhatsApp group so that service users can see what's available. Some service users are happy to take pot luck and just turn up.

One service user said: “I've had lots of different items, including cake, chicken, bread and ready meals. There are regular users and volunteers so it also has a social element as we catch up with each other and have a chat.”

Contributions from Sidmouth Town Council and generous donors help with the running costs for the organisation.

Rich Allen, who set up the service in Sidmouth said: “Our service users are people from a range of backgrounds and income levels, but they are all keen to prevent food waste. We are keen for SAVE Food Hub to grow but for that we need more volunteers. Anyone interested in volunteering is welcome to join us for a trial session to find out more. They can express their interest via the Save Food Hub website."

Volunteer Brenda Levings said: “I enjoy volunteering at the Food Hub as for just over an hour a week I get to save good food from being wasted and meet people from all walks of life in my community. It's almost a social event.”

Rich Allen added: “We'd like to thank our wonderful volunteers, and amazing Trustees, our hosts at the Dissenter and the Co-op supermarket for providing food for us to distribute.”

For more details contact Save Food Hub via their website www.savefoodhub.org.uk or email savefoodhub@gmail.com