SHARING SHED UPDATE

For the past six years, the Sharing Shed has been a community initiative dedicated to reducing food waste, supporting local people and bringing together volunteers, partners and donors with sharing at the heart of the project. Thousands of kilograms of surplus food have been rescued from going to landfill, ensuring it reached people who could make good use of it.

In May, we made the decision to relocate the Sharing Shed to our Rotterdam Street premises. The move was prompted by reduced volunteer capacity and gave us the opportunity to assess whether the project could continue sustainably from a new location.

Following a 10-week trial, we have made the difficult decision to close both the Rotterdam Street Sharing Shed and the Greenhouse Sharing Shed from Friday 31st July 2026.

This has not been an easy decision, and we know it will be disappointing for many people. However, after carefully reviewing the trial, we have concluded that, with our current resources, volunteer capacity and the amount of surplus food now available, we are no longer able to operate the Sharing Sheds in a way that meets the standards we aim for. The Greenhouse site also has limited storage space, making it increasingly difficult to manage food safely and efficiently.

As part of this review, we also looked at the wider food support available in Thurso and are reassured that there are a range of organisations and services providing assistance to those who need it.

While the Sharing Sheds are coming to an end, we remain incredibly proud of everything the project has achieved since it began in 2020. None of this would have been possible without the dedication of our volunteers, the generosity of our food partners and the support of the local community. Together, you have helped reduce food waste, support local people and strengthen our community.

We are truly sorry that we have had to make this decision, but we believe it is the right one to ensure we can focus our time and resources on other projects that continue to make a positive difference across Thurso.

Thank you to everyone who donated food, volunteered their time or helped spread the word over the past six years. Your kindness, generosity and commitment have made a lasting impact, and we are incredibly grateful for your continued support and understanding