A COMMUNITY group is digging in to tackle food waste and help people in need by running a soup kitchen.

Bolton Diggers, which was set up by Alan Brown, opened the kitchen in Churchgate earlier this year.

The not-for-profit kitchen, run by volunteers, uses food which would otherwise be thrown away, vegetables from community gardens, and food from supermarkets which is out-of-date but still usable, in its soups.

It also receives donations from corner shops and food stores.

The kitchen is made up of seven volunteers, most of whom have worked on similar projects before.

Mr Brown, from Westhoughton, is pleased with the kitchen’s success to date.

He said: “The customers love it — it has been really good so far and the soups are very nice. We are only open for an hour and a half but on a good day we can get 40 people through the door.

“The thrust of what we are trying to do is generate economic activity. We are trying to make a point about waste and about food poverty.

“We want to tackle the failings of the food system and make sure food doesn’t get thrown away.”

A similar scheme has been set up in Leeds entitled The Real Junk Food Project, a cost-free concept which relies on charitable donations of waste food produce to feed people in need.

Mr Brown said: “The Real Junk Food Project is something I take a lot of inspiration from — I want my project to become a social enterprise. The whole thing is experimental and we are quite open with how we want to develop it.”

Mr Brown will have a meeting with Waitrose representatives to discuss the donation of items from the supermarket.

The soup kitchen is open from 11.30am until 1pm every Friday.