In January 2026, FareShare Cymru visited Bocs Bwyd at Prendergast CP School alongside local MP Henry Tufnell and Jonathan Wallcroft from FareShare UK.

The visit highlighted how surplus food, when combined with community leadership and creativity, can support families, reduce food waste and enrich children’s learning.

Based in Haverfordwest, Bocs Bwyd is part of the Welsh Government-funded Big Bocs Bwyd programme, launched in schools across Wales in 2021.

Using converted shipping containers, the project provides families with access to free or low-cost food in a welcoming, dignified setting, while offering pupils hands-on opportunities to learn about food, nutrition and sustainability.

Opened in September 2023, Bocs Bwyd at Prendergast CP School has quickly become a focal point for the school and the wider community. It works alongside the school’s pupil-led enterprise, Preloved@Prendergast, which promotes the reuse and recycling of clothes and household items. Together, the projects help families manage rising living costs while tackling food and textile waste.

Food education is embedded in everyday school life. Pupils take part in regular sessions focused on growing food, cooking and learning where food comes from, using surplus food supplied through FareShare Cymru.

Family cooking demonstrations and workshops, delivered with a health nutritionist and a local chef, help children understand nutrition and balanced meals while building confidence and practical life skills.

Parents play a central role in the project. Cultural cookery sessions celebrating Turkish, Greek and Spanish cuisines encourage children to try new foods and learn about different cultures. Parent workshops, including cooking with children and food hygiene training, strengthen family bonds and support healthier eating at home.

Bocs Bwyd also provides practical support for families. Grab ’n’ Go meal bags and Too Good To Go bags help households make the most of surplus food while involving children in reducing food waste. The project has become a trusted, stigma-free way for families to access support.

Beyond food, Bocs Bwyd has grown into a space for enterprise and community pride. Pupils and families have hosted stalls at Haverfoodfest and the school’s own Prenderbury Festival. The CogUrdd Cookbook was sold locally, giving pupils real experience of entrepreneurship and fostering a positive relationship with food.

The school’s growing work extends outdoors through Prendergardd, a community garden supported by organisations including Keep Wales Tidy and Tir Coed. Gardening sessions and a summer club help children stay active, connect with nature and understand where food comes from. The project has earned recognition, including awards at the Pembrokeshire County Show and Level 2 accreditation in the RHS School Gardening Awards.

FareShare Cymru’s support underpins this work by turning surplus food into learning opportunities and community benefit. The visit with the local MP and FareShare UK demonstrated how partnerships like this can strengthen communities.

Looking ahead, the school hopes to recruit more volunteers, continue family workshops and secure funding for a community room to support a future pupil-led café. Bocs Bwyd shows how food, when placed at the heart of a community, can nourish learning, wellbeing and connection.