'It's more than a community fridge, it's a lifeline'

A husband and wife duo have said the number of people using a community fridge has grown during coronavirus lockdown.

The Buttercross in Swaffham - Credit: Breckland Council

Dennis Tallon, 76, and his wife, Pam, 72, who live in Swaffham, have seen record numbers asking for help since the pandemic struck.

Last week, the fridge, a project which is supported by Breckland Council and ran by the Iceni Partnership, collected 622.3kg of food from Waitrose, with 103 people visiting the fridge and a total of 302 men, women and children being helped with the food.

Mr Tallon said: "It's more than just a community fridge, people come here to not only get some food but they come for the social aspect of it too.

"It's great that people know we are here to listen to them if they are lonely or point them in the right direction if they need any financial help.

"It's proving to be a lifeline for people in Swaffham."

The fridge is open from 10am-11am every day except Saturday in the foyer of the town's community centre and follows strict coronavirus rules.