A woman who aims to help the environment - and people - with her non-profit café which reuses unwanted food from supermarkets, has received a community hero award.

Jane Johnson, 49, who has lived in North Bushey for 14 years, initially opened Random café in Watford to provide an environmentally-friendly coffee shop for the community.

The café is a ‘not for profit’ project which operates with only volunteers on Saturdays at different community centres.

Jane said: “It started off as an environmental decision as all food was being wasted, creating climate change and gasses. My aim is to hopefully divert it from landfill to be environmentally used.”

The project operates as a ‘pay as you feel basis’ so people can make a financial donation to what they feel it is worth or by giving whatever they can such as their time and skills.

The café is a way for Jane to help her community by re-using food that is either over stocked, damaged or has reached its best before date, so it doesn’t affect the environment.

She added: “It also helps people socially, especially people who are on a tight budget and provides them a way they can go out and have a café experience and also a way to get fruit and vegetables for their families.”

Jane also makes sure the community project does its part to help the homeless by donating excess bottles of water to the homeless groups in Watford.

She also ensures that any unused food from her own establishment such as sweets, crisps and biscuits are also sent to homeless groups as they can easily be carried around by rough sleepers.

She added: “We do try and help other projects and we hope to be full time in order to help more projects in the community.

“Different groups come forward for help and its not planned, it’s an organic thing and our café comes across different groups. We help in any way we can especially for those less fortunate.”

When told that she was put forward, she said: “I can’t believe somebody nominated me. It’s not me it’s the team. Without them the Random Café wouldn’t be going 18 months later.”

The Watford Observer community hero award allows the chance for people to be nominated for the acts of good will. They are then rewarded by Watford businesses.