West Midland Safari Park has teamed up with The Real Junk Food Project Birmingham, for a nifty way of recycling some of their leftover Halloween decorations.
As part of the Park’s Spooky Spectacular event, around 1,700 pumpkins were used to decorate the Discovery Trail, African Village and Adventure Theme Park. After the event ended on 31 October, some of the pumpkins went to the animals for enrichment, some had already been munched by the resident squirrels and the others were destined for the compost heap.
So when staff were approached by The Real Junk Food Project, a national project who collect ‘waste’ food, they were more than happy to donate as many pumpkins as the project needed.
The Real Junk Food Project intercepts food that would otherwise go to waste and turns it into healthy, delicious meals for purchase on a pay-as-you-feel donation basis. This means that anyone and everyone can take advantage of the food on offer for a monetary donation, by volunteering some time, or by sharing some skills or expertise.
Volunteer at the project, Ann Gallagher said, “The Real Junk Food Project Birmingham is part of a nationwide network seeking to address food waste. We accept donations of perfectly edible food — that would be thrown away — from various sources. Our volunteers cook up food in our cafes and at events. We also cater and run food boutiques and offer ‘Freegan’ boxes which are boxes of perfectly edible fruit and vegetables.”
She continued, “We are strong believers in our tagline — #FeedBelliesNotBins and visitors to our cafes and events can ‘pay as you feel’ (#PAYF) for our produce with cash, time or skills! Thank you WMSP for the donated pumpkins which will be made into all sorts of dishes including soups and puddings.”
Further information on the Real Junk Food Project Birmingham, is available on their website or Facebook page.
Further information for West Midland Safari Park can be found on their official website or by telephone 01299 402114. You can find out more on the Safari Park’s official Facebook page.