A NEW initiative to offer free food to people living in the Ceiriog Valley was launched on Friday.

A group of volunteers has set up the Ceiriog Valley Community Cupboard scheme which will take place each Friday.

The group is working with local supermarkets to distribute any surplus food in the community, for free, to avoid it being thrown away.

As well as food, the project will be offering food and toiletry items and hampers.

The initiative has been thought up by the group of volunteers in order to reduce food waste, care for the environment and share within the community.

Councillor Trevor Bates, Wrexham County Borough Council member for the Ceiriog Valley, has shown his support for the idea and urged people to use it.

He said: “We’re getting together surplus food from supermarkets and sharing it out within the community.

“One of the volunteers goes to Aldi, and the supermarket kindly donates any surplus food they can spare.

“We will be here distributing that every Friday from Canolfan Ceiriog, with anybody welcome to come along.

“In the future, we’re looking to build the event around a coffee morning, when we are able to do that.”

People from all areas within the Ceiriog Valley are welcome at the centre each Friday, where there will be different foods and essentials available every week.

The centre has hosted lockdown lunches previously, which made hot meals available for people in the community to enjoy.

Cllr Bates hopes people will visit the centre when the Community Food Cupboard is open every week.

He added: “I keep thanking people – we have so many volunteers coming to help with these initiatives.”

The Community Food Cupboard will be open every Friday at Canolfan Ceiriog from 10am until 11.30am.

Delivery is also available for those who are self-isolating by contacting one of the volunteers.

For more information and contact details for the volunteers, visit Ceiriog Valley Community Cupboard on Facebook.