Kai Ora Whanganui Kai Collective hosting a 'feasible feast'

Feedback on the hub has been gathered at the weekly Whanganui River Markets. Photo / Supplied

Whanganui Kai Ora Kai Collective is hosting a 'feasible feast' at the end of the month, a further step towards the creation of a local kai hub.

The hub's aims include nourishing the community, rescuing wasted food and diverting organics from landfills.

Collective member, Joe Thompson, said the feast was a chance for anyone in Whanganui to hear about the group's last ten weeks of planning.

"We've been having a lot of conversations with people, figuring out where it (the hub) can be based, who wants to be involved, and how it could look," Thompson said.

"Over the next couple of weeks before the feast we will be producing some 'road maps', to say what the hub could potentially look like, and what support there is for it.

"We are laying it all out and inviting people to take that journey with us for the next year or so."

Community feedback - from both the public and local groups and organisations - had been positive, Thompson said.

"People are hungry for it, pardon the pun.

"I think they see its merit and value, or they have travelled around and seen them in other places and asked 'why isn't there one in Whanganui?'."

Thompson said the fact that people had different requirements should be taken into account when planning the hub.

"You need to have some knowledge of community development or social work to know how to integrate all the different needs that people bring to a space like this," he said.

"We're excited that some of the organisations we've been talking to provide that service in a health context, and maybe they can come into our space and meet people on the ground, in a face to face type of way.

"There will be some tricky characters that walk through the door, and it's about knowing how we can support them towards better health and wellbeing through the vehicle of kai."

The Collective itself works on community-based initiatives that focus on localising the Whanganui food system, and collaborators include Te Ao Hou Marae, Kimiora Trust, Thrive Whanganui and the Whanganui District Council.

The feast will take place at the Harrison Street Community Church - another partner in the collective.

Joe Thompson (left) with Collective members Graeme Pearson, John Wilson, Jo Buckingham, Jay Rerekura, Lauren Tamehana, Louise Oskam, Beth Savage, and (sitting) Julie Crocker. Photo / Bevan Conley

Thompson said the collective had also consulted with Whanganui and Partners to see how the hub could "stand on its own two feet" financially.

"It needs to be really affordable and accessible at the same time."

"That'll be a tricky balance, but there are models and case studies all around the world that we can look at."

The feast kicks off with the cooking at 3pm, with a presentation of the Collective's feasibility findings following at 5pm.

Mayor Hamish McDouall, and other members of the Whanganui District Council, will also be in attendance.

Thompson, who works as a composter at Easy Earth Whanganui, said he was confident the hub could sustain itself once it had got off the ground

"Until we change the food system there is going to be a lot of waste, and there's going to be an endless supply of food.

"As a society we need to figure out how to deal with that, and this is one way of building a community around these pretty large issues that we sweep under the table.

"We have a food system that wants to make as much money as it can from the product, but after that, where does it go?

"Landfill should be the last option on people's lists, instead of the first."

• Kai Ora Kai Collective's feasibility feast will be held at the Harrison Street Community Church on Saturday, June 26. It is free, and any member of the public is welcome to attend.