Sharing Shed Fundraiser

We are deeply concerned about the impact the rising cost of living is having on members of our community. We are already seeing an increase in requests for support in August 2022, that is before further energy price rises take effect in October. Combined with poorer weather hitting us come the Winter period, many in our community are going to really struggle. Fuel poverty is defined as having to spend more than 10% of your income, after housing costs on energy. The Scottish Government estimates that at least 900,000 households in Scotland will be living in fuel poverty, with over 700,000 of these – almost 30% of all households – living in extreme poverty, by October. This forecast also suggests that the number of households in fuel poverty will only expand and increase as analysts suggest that prices will rise again in January.

Caithness already has high levels of fuel poverty and this situation is going to be exacerbated. Food costs are also rising with inflation currently standing at 10.1%. We are going to see people we struggling in our communities who have never struggled before and who do not know where to seek help and advice. Working with the Caithness Poverty Action Group there are a number of initiatives and campaigns which will be coming out over the winter period including looking at longer term solutions for our area.

But right now, we need your help, if you can manage to give it. We always wanted to base the Sharing Shed on getting food that would otherwise be going to waste out of landfill and basically sharing it. However, we see now that to combat this crises our main priority is making sure that people have food. That means we are going to need to purchase food over this Winter period. The thought of people in Thurso having to choose between heating their home or feeding themselves is not one that our organisation can sit back and watch in our Thurso community. We need to help, because that is what we do.

So, we are launching an online fundraiser through Just Giving. We know and appreciate that times are tight for everyone but if you can manage to donate, please do. You can find the fundraiser by clicking the link below.

We hope that the donations will not only enable us to be able to supplement food waste collections by buying food for the Sharing Shed but will also help contribute towards us installing an automatic lock for the doors which means we can have the Sharing Shed open for longer in the morning and evenings and we can redirect our volunteer effort into food collections from local businesses. Volunteers currently open and close the Sharing Shed.

We’ll be doing much more than just asking for pennies…

1. We also have an Amazon Wish List if you would like to purchase items for the Sharing Shed. Click on the button below to access it.

2. Contacting and encouraging local businesses to make donations of food that would otherwise be going to waste to the Sharing Shed.

3. Holding regular food and fundraising drives at local supermarkets and at our own shop Socially Growing to increase donations.

4. Encouraging people in the community to share food via the Sharing Shed that would otherwise be going to waste.

5. Anything else that we need to do to keep people fed over the Winter period. We did it during that pandemic nonsense and we will do it again now.