Cedarwood Trust receives £171k funding from the owner of Primula Cheese

Primula is delighted to announce that Kavli Trust is supporting Cedarwood Trust with a £171,000 donation. The funding will be used to create an environmentally-friendly kitchen which will provide thousands of meals to vulnerable people in North Tyneside.

Kavli Trust is a charitable foundation and the owner of Primula Cheese. Primula donates all its profits to good causes in the UK and worldwide through the Trust.  

Cedarwood Trust works to reduce food waste and redistribute it to residents with low incomes living in the Meadow Well Estate. The charity prevented people from going hungry during the Covid-19 pandemic by using up tonnes of donated food to create free, healthy meals for those who needed them. Surplus food will continue to be made into meals in the new industrial kitchen to support the Trust’s existing customers whilst tackling the environmental impact the food industry has on the planet.

Cedarwood Trust also runs a community shop, Nourish Store, which enables members to pay a small monthly fee and choose items for a weekly amount. This provides people with the opportunity to contribute financially, which removes the stigma associated with other initiatives whilst helping members manage their expenses.  

The funding will also enable the charity to increase the number of places available at its Nurture Academy. The academy is run by Cedarwood’s catering team and provides culinary-related qualifications for young people. Trainees prepare meals for the charity’s Nurture Bistro and their local community.

Cedarwood Trust CEO Wayne Dobson was overwhelmed by the donation from Kavli Trust. He believes it is a huge step toward the charity becoming self-sustainable and will help it tackle poverty in the region.

He said: “This will help people who are really struggling at the moment. There are a lot of hidden costs associated with cooking – for example gas and electricity which are costing more than ever – and these meals negate those extra costs for people.

“The money we make will also help us to reach a level of self-sustainability – it will be reinvested straight back into the Trust and the various services that we offer, that are dedicated to fighting poverty on the Meadow Well Estate and further afield in the North East.

“In these times which are so difficult for charities to navigate, when grant provisions are down massively, this could really be the start of something special. It could be our magic bullet.

“This extremely generous donation will also enable us to increase the number of training opportunities and qualifications we can offer in our Nurture Academy, helping to get people into employment. “We are absolutely overwhelmed by what Kavli Trust has done for us, and are so excited about what this could mean for the region.”

Paul Lewney, managing director at Primula Cheese, said: “Charity is at the heart of everything we do as a business, with all profits from the sale of our products, including Primula Cheese and Castle Maclellan, supporting good causes. As an organisation, we’re incredibly proud to have been sustainably investing in communities for sixty years.

“We’re delighted that Kavli Trust has selected Cedarwood Trust to receive funding of £171k. Incredibly, studies suggest that 30-40% of all food grown is not eaten, so we look forward to seeing the positive impact of reducing food waste on both our local community and the environment.”