Fruit Group
What is TUFG?
WHAT WE DO
The Ugly Fruit Group is a social enterprise founded as an Enactus project by students at Durham University in 2019. Through our three pillars, Reusing, Donating and Educating we aim further our philosophy of fighting hunger by reducing food waste.
Fruit and vegetables destined for the waste bin are donated by local wholesalers and supermarkets. The ripest produce, which needs to be used as soon as possible, is preserved using traditional methods and turned into delicious fruity snacks. These are then sold to you guys! All the money raised goes to maintaining and growing our project.
Reuse
The best quality fruit and vegetables we receive are donated in weekly food boxes to those in our local area who need it most. This is done through our partnerships with local food banks. All the produce we receive can be stored and transported.
Donate
Through our social media and university stalls we aim to change the perception of how food should look. We teach people how to cook and eat products that are riper and less aesthetic than usual. We believe all fruit and vegetables are delicious, no matter how different they look!
Educate
So far we have...
Saved
2417kg
of fruit and veg.
Prevented
3289kg
of CO2 emmissions
Saved
5776
meals worth of fruit & veg
Prevented
298210l
of wasted water
Supported
3
local food banks
THE PROBLEM
Now more than ever before there is an inconsistency in the food ecosystem: over 800 million people world-wide go to bed hungry everyday, yet food waste is reaching unprecedented levels. The situation in the UK can be summarised by these 5 facts:
Food waste from Europe and the USA alone could solve world hunger four times over. Not only is food waste damaging to the environment as more trees are cut down for farmland and more water is used in food production, but it is also damaging for developing countries. Increased demand for food drives world prices up.
70%
In the UK
of fruit and veg is thrown away.
data taken from a WRAP 2012 publication
Almost 45% of food waste happens before the food even reaches stores. For example, due to food specifications, if a red onion is below 40 mm in diameter it will not be sold. Here at The Ugly Fruit Group we believe that all fruit and vegetables are delicious regardless of how different they are!
In the UK
data taken from a WRAP 2012 publication
40%
of fruit and veg is wasted on aesthetics alone.
Families' reliance on food banks has increased: families are returning to food banks 10-15 times a row compared to an average of just 2-3 times two years ago.
In the UK
data taken from Statista.
2%
of families used a food bank in 2019.
Severe food insecurity means that families are unable to provide the required nutrition for children without extra support. This percentage makes the UK one of the worst ranked developed countries worldwide.
In the UK
data from a UNICEF study published in 2017
10%
of children live in severe food insecurity.
This is because food banks offer little to no fresh fruit and vegetables. That's where we come in!
Food bank parcels provide almost
data from a 2018 report by the Trussel Trust
50%
less than the recomended amount of vit. A,C, D and E.
MEET THE TEAM
Edmondo Strada
Co-Project Leader
Hi, I'm Ed, I have always cared about inequality and volunteering has always been an important part of my life. TUFG offered an opportunity to take this passion and play a role in building a student project of our own, creating a small but important change in the lives of our beneficiaries and helping me develop useful skills at the same time.
Josh Cash
Project Founder
Elizabeth Marney
Co-Project Leader
Hey, I'm Liz, I'm a 3rd year Politics and Philosophy student from Hild Bede! Coming from an area of high food insecurity, it was really important to me to get involved with combatting this in the local community, and I love that we’ve built our own little community whilst making such an impact! Outside of TUFG I’m usually pole dancing or hanging upside down on a hoop - fun!
Izzy Wheeler
Store Executive
Hi I’m Izzy and I’m a third year Geography student from Butler. I love my role as I get to see the impact the organisation has, through distributing fruit and veg to food banks around Durham. I felt it was important to be involved in something beyond the university. And there’s nothing better than sorting through a crate of potatoes on a Friday morning! Outside of TUFG I love to write, read, and swim!
Rohan Sekhri
Strategy and Growth Officer
I am a 2nd year chemistry student at St. Hild and St. Bede. I am responsible for managing how and where our products are sold. Being part of TUFG enables me to contribute to the local community and help those in need. I enjoy my role as I see an overview of the organisation and can directly see the positive impact we have on the community. Outside of TUFG I love cooking, playing badminton and watching films.
Louise Cazenave
Store Executive
I joined TUFG last year as a store volunteer and really enjoyed it which lead me to apply for the exec. I really love my work organising deliveries and food bank runs and sorting all the produce each week! Through my work I have become super passionate (some would say a bit too much) about tackling food waste. I love working within such a passionate team and with my other half of of the store exec Izzy!
Tilly Hunt
Culinary Officer
Hi, I’m Tilly, I’m a final year Geography student in Marys, and I’m one of the culinary managers for TUFG. I love cooking, and work as a private chef during my holidays, but I wanted to continue to cook during term time, so I joined TUFG to use my skills whilst I’m in Durham. I especially wanted to use them for a good cause, such as the ugly fruit group, so my skills could benefit more people.
Cyril Paul
Finance Officer
My name is Cyril. I am the finance officer at TUFG and a 2nd year accounting and finance student at St Hild and St Bede. I wanted to be part of a team that created a positive impact in our Durham Community whilst also being able to put my financial skills into action, and TUFG ticks all the boxes. In my spare time, I enjoy playing cricket and badminton.
Eloise Richmond
Culinary Officer
Hello, I’m Éloïse and half of The Ugly Fruit Group’s culinary exec. I’m a third year studying Archaeology and Classics. This role has allowed me to use my love for cooking to contribute to reducing food waste in Durham City and consistently donate to the Food Bank.
Alize Ak
Outreach Officer
Hi I'm Alize, a 3rd year Natural Sciences (Biology and Psychology) student at St Hild and St Bede. I chose to work for TUFG because my love for cooking can be linked with tackling one of the leading problems in our world today which is food insecurity and food waste.
Beth Holloway
Outreach Officer
Hi! I’m Beth, a fourth year Geography student at Josephine Butler. Last year, I studied abroad at Uppsala University and learnt new ideas about the different ways they achieve sustainable goals in Sweden. I joined TUFG as I was excited to be a part of a student community having a positive impact on our local area. This year, I’m looking forward to making new connections and expanding our service!
Harry Davis
Compliance Officer
My name is Harry. I am a 2nd Year Physics student from Hatfield College and my role within TUFG is compliance exec. Growing up in the north east, I was aware of the difficulties many people are faced with, so it’s great to be part of a team that is making a positive impact on the local area. Outside of TUFG, I play rugby, enjoy cycling and rock climbing.
Rosie Christian-Cox
Publicity Officer
I’m a final year Castle student studying Human Geography. I wanted to find a way that I could give back to the community whilst also using my strong environmental ethics. TUFG has given me the opportunity to do these things but also provided me with crucial skills for my career. Outside of TUFG I love anything creative, making healthy recipes and compete in a uni cheer team as a flyer.
Amy Jiang
Publicity Officer
I'm one of two Publicity Reps at TUFG and a second year Geography student from South! When I joined Durham Uni, I wanted to use the skills I had to be a part of something that made a difference to not just the students but the local community as well, so I'm very excited to be on the Exec team this year for the charity! Outside of TUFG, I also love playing music (piano, clarinet and singing!) and walks or hikes out in nature.
Aanya Arora
Sustainability Officer
Hi my name’s Aanya, I’m the sustainability officer at TUFG and I’m a second-year Chemistry student at Cuths. I wanted to join TUFG to have a more hands-on approach to sustainability and make more of a local difference after not being able to be part of many Durham-based organizations in first year. Outside of TUFG, I also enjoy walks, drinking boba, and lots and lots of baking.
GET INVOLVED!
