WINCHESTER’S local not-for-profit veg box scheme, Ooooby, has teamed up with Rotary to provide veg boxes to vulnerable families.

Ooooby, which stands for Out Of Our Own BackYards, was launched by Seb Mayfield and Debbie Lockett in July 2020. Since then they have been delivering fresh veg to customers in the Winchester district from Alresford to Bishopstoke every week. As well as vegetables and fruit, Ooooby supports local artisan producers by enabling their customers to add items such as cheese, eggs and bread to their orders.

As a result of funding from Winchester Rotary, Ooooby will be delivering free Good Food Boxes, packed full or fresh, organically grown veggies and fruit, to 15 households in the district for three months.

Seb Mayfield, co-director of Ooooby said: ‘We became a not-for-profit social enterprise at the beginning of 2021 as we are determined to make truly good food available to everyone, not just those on high incomes. We already accept Healthy Start Vouchers and we are now delighted to be working with Rotary to progress our work.”

Debbie Lockett, who set up Ooooby with Seb, said: “This pilot project with Rotary is a really important part of what we are aiming to do. We aim to work with the families we deliver free boxes to, to find out what impact it has on them and how effective the service is. We hope to then expand this particular part of our work following the pilot, to benefit more vulnerable families in and around Winchester.”

Luke Addison, Winchester Rotary environment lead, said: “The decision to support the Ooooby Community Veg Box Pilot Programme was one that was made very, very quickly! It is clear that it is a well thought-out and community-centred project and given the continuous and effective commitment the Ooooby Founders have made and are making to the community of Winchester via FirstBite Community Café and the Winchester Food Partnership, it was clear to us that we should support it and continue to do so throughout the three-month pilot and into the future.”

Ooooby continues to offer their regular and very popular range of veg boxes, available to order via their website. They also offer ‘Honest to Goodness’ veg boxes on their website - a range provided at a subsidised cost aimed at families and individuals on low incomes.

To find out more, visit www.oooobyhampshire.com or email Seb and Debbie at hampshire@ooooby.com. Tel: 07591 378149

[Photo attached: Seb Mayfield and Debbie Lockett with a Veg Box]