A NORTHWICH charity is launching a new campaign to help tackle food poverty in the community.

Cheshire Food Hub has teamed up with The Welcome Network, the Recipe Exchange and online electricals retailer AO.com to kick off the Love Slow Cookers, Hate Food Waste campaign.

The project will support families across Cheshire who are struggling to make ends meet by teaching them how to use a slow cooker to make cheap and nutritious meals.

Slow cookers only take 18p per eight hours to run – the same as a light bulb – and can produce far more nutritious meals than a microwave.

Jo Garner, head of finance and development at Cheshire Food Hub, said: “Slow cookers provide a cheap and easy way of cooking meals, and thanks to the generosity of AO.com we are able to help local people not only feed their families, but also gain vital cooking skills.”

AO.com has donated 200 Swan slow cookers, which will be loaned to the families along with fortnightly recipes and ingredients packs.

Families will be able to access low-cost surplus foods from their local food group to try recipe alternatives, helping to reduce food waste and save money.

John Roberts, AO founder and chief executive, said: “Throughout Covid, our aim has been to serve customers safely and support organisations helping those most in need.

"The Cheshire Food Hub is doing vital work and we’re delighted to get behind this imaginative approach to supporting families to create nutritious meals.

"We hope that by donating 200 slow cookers, we can help the Cheshire Food Hub make a real difference to the lives of vulnerable people.”

The campaign aims to help local people minimise their energy bills and improve on their cooking skills, as well as reducing landfill impact by collecting donated pre-loved slow cookers, refurbishing and then returning them back into the community.

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Nick Hopkinson MBE DL, High Sheriff of Cheshire, added: “Teaching people simple ways of preparing low cost but nutritious meals in a slow cooker will have a significant impact on food poverty in our area, and I’m grateful to AO and others for their generous donations.”

Cheshire Food Hub has recently launched a crowdfunding campaign to encourage people to donate to help more slow cookers become available.

For more information visit gofundme.com/f/love-slow-cookers-hate-waste