COVID-19 impact

It’s impossible to talk about the impact of the fridges this year without talking about COVID-19. Throughout lockdown, fridges across the country had to adapt very quickly. Hubbub issued regular guidance, in line with government advice, to assist the Community Fridge Network members in navigating uncharted territory. Fridge coordinators reported that in some areas the availability of food surplus dipped at the start of lockdown as people stocked up on food and household items. However, it quickly went back to the pre-COVID-19 level (or above in some cases). Around 63% of CFN members surveyed had to close temporarily and/or pivot towards a household delivery model, as you will see in the next few pages.