Since plans for Shepton Mallet's Community Fridge were first revealed back in March, people, organisations and businesses in the town have rallied round to help bring the idea to fruition.

A successful Crowdfunding campaign raised £1,500. One of the organisers of the project, Victoria Ross, said: "Many thanks to everyone who donated, especially Shepton Vets who contributes a significant amount."

Shepton Mallet Town Council have also pledged £6,400 for the project. Chairman of the town council, Matt Harrison, said: "Shepton Mallet Town Council is pleased to support the community fridge for two main reasons; principally, community fridges are an effective way for local communities to reduce food waste; secondly, they are an additional source of food for people who may be struggling with the cost of living. We're really pleased a local group has taken the initiative to instigate the project and are happy to support it to see it to fruition."

Work is well underway on creating the structure of the Community Fridge, that will not only house a fridge, but also a freezer and a larder, thanks to the skills of the.Shepton Mallet Men's Shed. Victoria said: "Thanks to various funding bodies we have been able to purchase the majority of the material we need. Timbersource in Doulting are now on board and they have not only given us materials at a fantastic price, but they have helped us design the intricacies of a secure building so it will accommodate our cleaning products and a pull out larder for dried goods.Toolstation in Shepton Mallet have also donated some materials to help us along."

An installation date for the fridge has now been set for August 10, although it will still be some time after that before it will be up and running.

Some of the organisers took part in Collett Park Day to help spread the word about the fridge and enlist volunteers, even dressing up as carrots to help gain attention. Although there has been a great response, even more volunteers are needed to keep the fridge running once it is ready to open.

Victoria said: "Our two designated hygiene and food safety members of the group have completed their relevent food safety training and were getting all the procedures in place ready to start training volunteers. You can register your interest here and we will be in contact with you about how you can help the everyday running of the community fridge. "We need as many people as we can. If anyone can offer just one food collection from a local supermarket per week, or opening the fridge In the morning, we would be most grateful. The more people we have volunteer, the more we can open to the public."

To keep up to date with the Community Fridge news, you can follow the Facebook page.