As part of our commitment to supporting our local community, The Radclyffe School has been making regular donations to The Crossley Community Fridge in Chadderton, supported by Kajima.
Now, we want to build on this work, raise more awareness of the initiative within our school community and make sure our contributions are as helpful as possible.
Earlier this week, staff from The Radclyffe School and Kajima went behind the scenes at the centre, meeting with Leanne Keane, Community Partnerships Manager, to learn more about how it operates, understand its current needs and explore how we can strengthen our support.
Based at Crossley Community Centre and run by Great Places, the initiative helps prevent food waste while providing practical support to people in our local community. It runs every Wednesday from 2pm to 4pm, and is open to anyone who needs it, with no questions asked.
The centre receives surplus food from local supermarkets, helping prevent perfectly usable food from going to waste.
Leanne added: “Donations from schools and local organisations are a really valuable part of what we do too. They help us provide additional essentials alongside the surplus food we receive, ensuring we can offer a range of useful items to the people who visit us.”
During our visit, we learned more about the growing demand for the service and the items that would be most useful to the team.
Since opening three years ago, the number of families accessing the service has doubled, with an average of 42 families now visiting each week.
This growth highlights the importance of accessible community support and the role initiatives like the Community Fridge play in bringing people together.
Alongside providing food and everyday essentials, the centre offers a welcoming space where people can meet and build connections with others in their community.
“It’s about more than the food. People can sit down, have a drink, chat to others and meet new people. For some, those friendships become a really important part of their lives,” said Leanne.
This is all made possible by a dedicated team of staff and volunteers who help prepare donations, organise the sessions and welcome visitors. Some volunteers also access the service themselves, reflecting the inclusive, community-led nature of the initiative.
We want to ensure our contributions are not only well intentioned, but genuinely helpful, so we’re looking to move towards smaller but more regular donations that respond to the centre’s changing needs, rather than one large donation per term.
We’re also looking forward to involving our newly formed Charity and Community Student Leadership Team in this work.
Our aim is to provide students the opportunity to develop their own ideas, take the lead on projects and see how their efforts can make a tangible difference beyond the school gates.
How you can help
Our donation point is located at Visitor Reception, and contributions from our school community are always welcome. Tinned and jarred food, pasta and other cupboard essentials, toiletries and sanitary products are particularly useful.
We’ll share more about our plans and upcoming donation appeals soon. In the meantime, thank you to everyone who helps us support our local community.
If you would like to learn more about the Community Fridge, please visit their website: Community Fridge – Crossley Community
Some statistics for this year so far from the Community Fridge
