Do you want to hear something truly scary this Halloween? According to Hubbub 15.8 million pumpkins will be left uneaten this Halloween, that’s enough for 95 million meals!

This year, the Oxfordshire Pumpkin Festival is celebrating it’s tenth year, continuing to put a spotlight on fighting food waste at Halloween. The campaign highlights simple ways to cook and eat your pumpkin, to show that the humble pumpkin is not just for carving but can be a valuable source of food, and delicious too.

We are inviting everyone in Oxfordshire to participate in reducing food waste by holding or attending a #PumpkinRescue event, whether big or small, to encourage more people to #EatYourPumpkin. There are many organistions taking part across Oxfordshire, from Earth Trust’s Pumpkin Patch to a Pumpkin party at Marston Community Garden.

It’s not too late to join in with your own event, whether it’s a harvest feast, a cooking challenge, or any other event where you will be growing, cooking or selling pumpkins to eat so they are not going to waste. To register your event  just sign up here! GFO can support the event with a £50 grant, with sourcing surplus pumpkins and with promoting your event.

Here are some great resources on how to run a community event  and some digital resources.