How Fur Clemt CIC protected the fresh food at the heart of their community

A 20-foot refrigerated unit is a vital force behind Fur Clemt’s community food project.

When it failed, so did their ability to store fresh fruit and vegetables for the thousands of people who rely on the organisation’s food share scheme. Every hour increased the risk of losing stock that families were expecting to collect.

Twelve years of delivering impact

Fur Clemt CIC was founded in Wigan in 2014 in response to holiday hunger.

What began as a summer initiative between three local organisations has grown into one of the town’s best-known community food projects. Today, more than 2,000 members use its food share scheme, which operates on a points system rather than a means test, allowing people to access affordable food without the stigma often associated with emergency food support.

Alongside the café and food share scheme, Fur Clemt also helps coordinate the Wigan Sustainable Food Network, connecting community pantries across the borough and helping surplus food reach the people who need it most.

Fresh food sits at the heart of that work. Without refrigeration, distributing it safely and efficiently becomes nearly impossible.

A repair that couldn’t wait

Fur Clemt CIC knew exactly what they needed.

They posted a request on Match My Project for an electrician to diagnose and repair the refrigeration unit. The work was expected to take around four hours, but the urgency went far beyond the time needed to complete it.

Frontline North West responded quickly.

Director Lee attended the site to assess the fault before sending electrician Ashley to carry out the repair. Rather than restoring the power and moving on, the team identified the underlying issue and resolved it, helping prevent the same problem from disrupting Fur Clemt again.

Within a day, the refrigeration unit was back in service.

A partnership that keeps showing up

This wasn’t the first time Frontline North West had supported Fur Clemt.

It was the third project the business had completed alongside the community organisation, reflecting a partnership built on a shared commitment to supporting local people.

Jon Brittain from Fur Clemt said,

“Lee was fantastic, simply put he saved the day, week and month. He understood how important it was that we got this fridge unit back on, and he delivered.”

For Frontline, supporting organisations like Fur Clemt is part of a wider commitment to the communities where they work.

“At Frontline we strongly believe in supporting the communities we serve. We recognise the vital role that local charities and community organisations play in helping those who are less fortunate or who need additional support and assistance. As a business we are committed to giving back wherever we can and will always do our best to support initiatives that make a positive difference to the lives and wellbeing of local people.”

The relationship has continued to grow with every project.

“We have developed a great relationship with Fur Clemt as they do such amazing work and will continue to support them in whatever way we can. We highly praise their good work.”

Deborah Parsons, Frontline North West Ltd

Keeping the community moving

Fur Clemt CIC had built the relationships, the food network and the trust of thousands of local people. When the refrigeration unit failed, they needed the right expertise to keep it running.

A single repair helped ensure fresh food continues to reach local families and allow a community organisation to carry on doing what it has spent more than a decade building.

About Match My Project

Match My Project connects community organisations with local businesses to deliver Social Value. Every project is verified by the contracting authority before it goes live. On average, it takes community organisations eight minutes to add a project to the platform. Get in touch at hello@matchmyproject.org to find out how your organisation can get started.