As Aldi celebrates its 25th anniversary in Scotland, 14 stores across Edinburgh and the Lothians are now donating surplus food directly to 17 local charities to help prevent hunger across the region. Continue reading Aldi stores launch partnership with local charities
Cyrenians have introduced a new pantry service, offering quality food at low prices in their bid to tackle food poverty here in Edinburgh. Continue reading Cyrenians introduce brand new pantry in Granton
Food redistribution charity FareShare Central and South East, in partnership with Cyrenians, is seeking new charities and community groups across the city that could benefit from fresh, in-date surplus food. Continue reading Edinburgh charity seeks local projects solving loneliness with food
£500k for food distribution services around the country
An additional £500,000 will be awarded to the charity FareShare to step up redistribution of surplus food for people struggling to afford to eat.
The funding, which doubles investment in FareShare over the next two years, will help the charity mitigate against the potential consequences of Brexit on food supply for people in need.
The funding is in addition to the Scottish Government’s £3.5 million Fair Food Fund, established to tackle food insecurity.
Communities Cabinet Secretary Aileen Campbell visited Crookston Community Food Project in Glasgow today to meet with staff, volunteers and members of the community.
She said: “In a country as prosperous as ours, everyone should have access to affordable, nutritious food. Our further investment in FareShare and community groups like Crookston ensures we reach more of the people who need help the most.
“This extra funding will further help those who have been badly hit by the UK Government’s cuts, which mean that welfare spending will be reduced in Scotland by £3.7 billion in 2020/21.
“We are also taking this step to insure ourselves against the economic damage of a possible exit from the EU. It is shocking that we have to do so, but the deal proposed by the UK Government would make people poorer and undo much of the great progress we have made as a nation to tackle inequalities and poverty.
“Regardless of the Brexit outcome, we will continue our plans to tackle food insecurity. Scotland is the only country in the UK to routinely monitor food insecurity using the UN’s recommended measure and we are continuing to address the underlying causes.”
The Fair Food Fund aims to ensure that everyone can feed themselves and their families and reduce reliance on emergency food provision. In 2018-19 the fund was increased from £1 million to £1.5 million, and will be £3.5 million in 2019-20.
FareShare is a UK-wide charity which redistributes surplus food that would otherwise go to waste, to frontline charities and community groups.
More than 7,000 children from low income families will have access to healthy and nutritious food during the Christmas school holidays, Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell said this morning. Continue reading Tackling food insecurity during school holidays
Help local people get through Christmas
FareShare Central and SE Scotland needs volunteers to help collect donations for local charities as part of the Tesco Food Collection from Thursday 29 November to Saturday 1 December 2018. Continue reading Edinburgh food charity urgently needs food drive volunteers
New digital system to reduce stigma and make it easier to eat healthily
Pre-paid digital smartcards will replace food vouchers, following strong support for changes to the scheme for helping low income families eat healthily.
Healthy Start Vouchers will become known as Best Start Foods and the current paper vouchers replaced by smartcards in Summer 2019.
Respondents to a Scottish Government consultation on changes to the Welfare Foods scheme said the move to smartcards could reduce stigma, increase uptake and be easier for families. They also wanted support and training for retailers to ensure the system was easy for them to use.
The consultation also found overwhelming support for extending the range of eligible foods in the scheme, and providing free milk and healthy snacks to all children in funded Early Learning and Childcare (ELC).
Public Health Minister Joe FitzPatrick said: “Improving Scotland’s health and tackling inequality starts with ensuring everyone can have a healthy diet, especially families with young children. Diet impacts on children’s health, their learning ability and their life chances as they grow up, but too many low income families face barriers to eating healthily.
“There is clear and strong backing for our plans to further support families, through making the system easy to use and by increasing the foods that families can access. This gives us a strong foundation for introducing these changes.”
Welfare Foods consultation summary report
Welfare Foods consultation full report
Powers over Welfare Foods have been devolved to Scotland under the Scotland Act 2016. These powers have not yet commenced and the consultation sought views on how best to take these forward.
Families’ allowances will rise from £3.10 to £4.25 a week, and from £899 to £1,011 in total over the period they receive support.
Consultation respondents also suggested a national awareness raising campaign, through a range of media channels, to raise the uptake of Best Start Foods.
Low-income families with young children will receive increased payments, digital smartcards and access to a wider range of foods under new proposals. The Scottish Government is consulting on plans to reshape the Welfare Foods Scheme, which aims to help families access a healthy diet. Continue reading Have your say on Welfare Foods Scheme proposals
FFF tackles food poverty
Projects that help people move away from emergency food support and get access to healthy, nutritious food will be offered funding for a further year. Continue reading Fair Food Fund extended for another year
“Our experience is rich and valuable and we want to be part of the solution” – Sean Fitzharris
Pilton Community Health Project has launched its new report, ‘Hungry for Change’. The report, the result of conversations with local people experiencing food insecurity, was launched at the Old Kirk and Muirhouse Parish Church yesterday. PCHP want the report to be a catalyst for action to alleviate food insecurity for North Edinburgh residents and to tackle the root causes of poverty. Continue reading Health Project launches Hungry for Change report
