A community hub aiming to reduce food waste has received nearly £2,000 to help Watford become carbon neutral.

Random Café, a pop-up café and non-profit project that reduces food waste, is currently open for three days a week as it uses food donated by supermarkets and cafes that would usually go to landfills.

Such foods either had damaged packaging, were over ordered, or past its best before date, but could still be of use to make hot fresh meals and snacks.

As part of Watford Borough Council’s goal to make the borough carbon neutral by 2030, Mayor Peter Taylor awarded the hub over £1,870 from his Small Grants Fund.

The café secured a permanent site at The Meriden Gardens in December last year, and the funding will go towards the cost of keeping their electric van operational.

Jane Johnson, founder of the Random Café said: “This is such an exciting project with a strong focus on sustainability as well as offering something truly needed in the area with the pay as you can ethos in the pop-up shop and future café.

"I’m so thankful for the support of the Mayor’s Small Grants Fund to keep the electric van operational, so we can continue to do our vital work”.

The mayor explained that “nothing captures” the drive to make local changes to enforce a carbon neutral 2030 than the work at the café.

He said: “I’m really happy that the funding will go towards keeping the van operational, so they can continue to support people across the borough.”