A Didcot teen has set up her own initiative to ensure surplus fruit and vegetables no longer have to go to waste.
Nicole Wilson, who is aged 16, who is home educated, started to circulate the idea after apple trees in people’s garden’s in East Hagbourne were found to be overflowing a few years ago.
She will now take here Vegcycle initiative to Didcot Sunday Market on weekends.
“I thought there must be a way to reduce the waste and let other people enjoy what has been grown locally,” she said.
Vegcycle is Nicole’s first venture and she admits that she does have low expectations ahead of her first day on the market this Sunday.
She added: “Once people know more about it they will be more willing to share.
“If I think low and I get better that is a good thing other than expecting big and getting nothing.”
Didcot Sunday Market has based outside Sainsbury’s in the Orchard Centre since March with the purpose of raising funds for the town’s Christmas Street Fair.
Jeanette Howse, chairman of Didcot Christmas Street Fair said she was impressed by Nicole’s initiative.
“I just think its a brilliant idea,” she said. “Everyone has surplus and for someone to have the initiative and to do something about it is brilliant.
“Nicole just wants people to not waste fruit in their gardens and we want people to come down and support.”
Didcot Sunday Market raised £2,000 for the Christmas Street Fair, which is celebrating it’s 20th anniversary, and Ms Howse continued: “Hopefully we have a legacy going forward this year but we still need to raise around £15,000 a year for the street fair.
“Everyone is getting into the spirit which is what it is all about. It is a huge event in Didcot and the town has always embraced it.
“The street fair is for local people. There has to be money made out of it and it is a good way of everyone being involved – schools, churches, clubs – it’s strength is that it is still going.”