Spare Spoon – the student-led initiative tackling poverty and food waste
Recognizing the amount of food being wasted in the halls of residence at the University, students launched the Spare Spoon Initiative. With support from Transition, the team offered free, hot meals to the local community. During a trial week in early April, they served more than 250 meals that would have otherwise gone to waste.
The Tree Food Cooperative
The Tree is a student-led cooperative food hub connecting local consumers with local producers and wholefood suppliers. As part of a resilient local food network serving the entire St Andrews community, they support farmers and producers in maintaining organic practices that promote biodiversity while prioritising ethical and social values.
The Gleaning Network
Gleaning—the practice of gathering leftover produce after harvest—continues to grow through the efforts of Transition St Andrews. This year, the network redistributed 634kg of vegetables, including carrots, potatoes, and organic turnips, to local schools, food banks, community cafes, fridges, and neighbourhoods across Fife.
Edible Campus
Edible Campus is a network of community gardens spread throughout the community, with most located on the University estate, particularly around the halls of residence. Each garden has a leader who organizes growing and harvesting and runs activities to engage the broader community. This year, approximately 300kg of free and organic produce was harvested and made available to those in need.
Sustainable Style Event
Transition supported a sustainable fashion event, held in spring, where colleagues from across the institution gathered to learn about making more sustainable fashion choices.
Funds from ticket sales raise dover £300 for SmartWorks. The British Heart Foundation was also on hand to showcase the range of options in stylish, second-hand clothing. The event was held in Walter Bower House, and featured speakers from SmartWorks, an organisation which supports women returning to work with high-quality interview wear, sustainable student leaders who demonstrated their upcycling skills, and a discussion on the impact of “fast fashion”.