Tag: food poverty

More cash for Scottish Government’s Food Fund

People most at risk from food insecurity due to the COVID-19 outbreak are to receive further support from the Scottish Government’s £70 million Food Fund. An additional £1.6 million of funding will help FareShare purchase more food for local authorities, community-run initiatives and frontline charities across Scotland.

FareShare, a national network of charitable food distributors, has distributed over 1,440 tonnes of food –  the equivalent of almost 3.5 million meals – since 23 March, supported by £500,000 of Scottish Government funding.

Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell said: “At this difficult time, it is more important than ever that we tackle food insecurity by supporting the work of community food distribution groups across the country who are best placed to ensure vital supplies reach those who need it most.

“By working in partnership with FareShare and their partners in communities across Scotland, this extra funding will help frontline charities and community food groups provide support to even more people in need.

“I would encourage anyone who is struggling to afford or access food during these challenging times to contact our national helpline on 0800 111 4000.”

Head of FareShare Scotland Gillian Kynoch said: “We are experiencing an enormous pull on our resources during these challenging times. While food companies continue to make their surplus food available to us, the need in communities for support with additional food remains great.

“This additional £1.6 million will enable us to top up our food supplies through the coming months and keep on providing food to the frontline organisations caring for and supporting people hard pressed by the current crisis.”

 Leader of Highland Council Margaret Davidson said:  “The strong collaboration between the council and FareShare has benefited the many households who have been receiving nutritional food parcels from our local community hubs since lockdown began.

In addition to the food supplies for the council, FareShare continues to supply a wide range of community groups across the Highlands who in turn are ensuring local households are nourished.

“Our welfare team continues to carry out benefit checks ensuring that all benefits are claimed, including the Scottish Welfare Fund.”

The £70 million Food Fund supports people facing additional barriers in accessing food, and has been distributed as follows:

  • £30 million for the national shielding programme to provide food parcels to those at high clinical risk from COVID-19
  • £30 million to Local Authorities for others who are at-risk or struggling financially, including over-70s and families eligible for free school meals
  • £10 million to third-sector partners delivering community-based responses at national and local levels, including FareShare.

FareShare is a UK-wide network of charitable food redistributors, made up of 17 independent organisations. Together they take quality surplus food from across the UK and get it to almost 11,000 frontline charities and community groups.

If you live in North Edinburgh and are experiencing hardship, local support is right on your doorstep:

Edinburgh charity seeks local projects solving loneliness with food

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

Emergency funding to tackle food insecurity

£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.

 

 

Tackling food insecurity during school holidays

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

Edinburgh food charity urgently needs food drive volunteers

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

Digital smartcards to replace food vouchers

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.

 

 

Have your say on Welfare Foods Scheme proposals

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