A man who has been dubbed "Robin Hood" for giving leftover supermarket food to people in need during the pandemic has collected £20,000 worth of goods.
Keith Brownhill, 60, from Yeovil, started collecting leftovers from supermarket giants at the beginning of the first coronavirus lockdown in March 2020.
He then gave the food out to people nearby who needed it after suffering hardship due to lockdown.
So far, Keith, who is a volunteer food waste hero for Olio reckons he's helped out 91 people, from factory workers to midwives.
He said: "While Olio isn't really a food bank and isn't necessarily aimed just at people in need, it stops food from going to landfill, which is also a very good thing."
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The network has gathered 25,000 volunteers around the UK, who collect surplus food from supermarkets, list them on the Olio app, and redistribute it to people who need it.
Keith said: "I have no idea what I'm going to get until I reach the supermarket.
"I normally get bread and bakery products, produce from the fruit and veg aisle and there can be meat and fish, sandwiches and stuff from the chilled foods area."
However, he has to follow strict rules from the Food Standards Agency to make sure the food collected meets regulations. It all has to be in date and Keith has to collect it by midnight.
If he takes anything that can't be used, he'll give it to local farmers to use as animal feed.
When Keith gets home, he lists the produce he's collected on the app, and people have until midnight to collect it - usually from his doorstep.
Anyone who wants or needs food can sign up through the app to receive it.
Keith said: "There's no discrimination, as this is designed to help the environment as well as saving people money. If someone joins and they are there at the right time then they can have the food, regardless of who they are or what they do."
Do you know a covid hero who deserves some recognition? Email jessica.taylor@reachplc.com
The food collectors are also entitled to take 10 per cent of the food they have collected - which can be helpful for someone struggling to make ends meet.
"It's very handy for people who need it," Keith said.
"This is a great scheme to help the planet, to help people who can't afford to eat well and for people who just fancy trying something new.
"It's really good for the community and, so far, through doing this I've saved £20,454 worth of food from being thrown away."
Keith, who is involved in a lot of charity work, added: "I've done well in life so, especially when the pandemic started, I wanted to find a way to give something back to the community."
For more information about how to volunteer, click here
