Still Good Food project in Bury St Edmunds celebrates after being recognised by The Charity Commission

A Bury St Edmunds food project which resells goods due to be thrown out has just achieved charitable status, a ‘milestone’ moment according to one of its co-ordinators.

Still Good Food, formerly the Best Before Project, was established in late 2017 and relies on donations from nearby supermarkets and other suppliers for goods that are due to go out of date.

They resell on the products to customers who can ‘pay as they feel’ and who may not have the funds to afford regular supermarket prices.

Sarah Bullen, one of two project co-ordinators, said the project had to jump through a 'number of hoops' to be recognised by The Charity Commission, but was really happy with the news.

"It’s very exciting and a real boost to our self-esteem that we are being recognised and are making a difference," she said.

“It’s great we’ve achieved this and it feels like a real milestone moment."

Sarah was taken on with one other co-ordinator, Roz Scott, last September after the project received a Covid-19 Emergency Surplus Food Grant provided by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Since then, the workload has dramatically increased, with the team moving nine tonnes of stock in the last few months.

To put that in perspective, Sarah estimates around five tonnes were shifted during the whole of 2020.

"I gave up my part-time job to take this on because I feel passionately about this project," Sarah said.

"It's just exploded since we received the grant back in September.

"We have tripled the amount of food we are distributing."

If you are interested in finding out more about the Still Good Food project, visit: https://www.bestbeforebse.co.uk/

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