A PIONEERING food club has been launched to reduce waste and provide a lifeline to families in need.

Winsford Community Grocery is a not for profit community interest company set up to provide a service to local residents.

It is a fully inclusive service for all and without the need of a referral.

A welfare officer at Cheshire West and Chester Council suggested the idea after witnessing high levels of food poverty and teamed up with a resident who was concerned about supermarkets wasting food.

Winsford Community Grocery plans to rescue food that is still edible and distribute it to the local community.

New Images Youth and Community Centre offered space for the project and CWAC bought fridges and freezers for storage.

Volunteers were recruited to collect the food from supermarkets and distribute it .

Members pay a £3 fee for each session. Greggs, Aldi and Lidl are donating

Lorraine Macey, CWAC transactional services welfare officer, said: "The first session was an amazing success, 49 people signed up and this has increased to 85."

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Two weekly sessions were planned but one had to be cancelled because food ran out.

The food club is now looking for cheap storage space and more shops and restaurants to join to maintain supplies.