A DEVOTED group looking to reduce waste and support struggling residents is making its last steps before opening its premises.

The Tiptree Community Fridge will be opening its permanent premises on Saturday, January 14.

The group has been preparing for its opening at Unit 4, 20 Station Road in Tiptree.

In just six months, the group has grown from the help of Tiptree residents and now has 515 members.

Many residents have continued to raise funds and donations have been made for items and equipment to support the running of the service.

Donated school uniforms will also be available.

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But more volunteers are needed to keep the fridge running.

The group hopes to be able to open for six days a week for at least four hours a day and needs volunteers to collect food and meet and support residents.

The group has launched a page to make it easier to contact one of the eight administrators and three trustees.

The original Tiptree Community Fridge Facebook group will no longer be in use once members move over to the new page.

In a message to group members, a spokesman for the group said: “In order to offer you more options to contact us as admins and trustees we have set up a page now for you to move over to.

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“Please could you all now join the identical Tiptree Community Fridge Page.

“We will retire this group once everyone has moved over and encourage all new joiners to seek the page with the message tab and not this group from now on.

“We will publish all new posts in regard to the opening hours and services on the page from now on.

“We thank you all for your help and support over the last six months to reach this point.

“The success of this group has led us to this point and the need to change to a page.”

Visitors can attend the launch from 11am to 2pm on Saturday.

For more information, go to the Tiptree Community Fridge Facebook page.