Collaborations that Create Access to Food for World Food Day
There is a growing need for support around accessing food. The cost-of-living crisis continues to create financial challenges for growing groups of people from those on low income or unemployment to working families trying to get through each month.
Chichester District Food Bank, part of the Trussell network of food banks, provides emergency food and practical support to those living in the Chichester district.
Thanks to a new collaboration, the food bank has teamed up with surplus food charity, UKHarvest to provide additional food provision to their clients, and to broaden the reach of food support across the city.
UKHarvest is an independent not-for-profit that collects surplus food from growers and producers and makes it available to those in need and those wishing to reduce food waste. As well as food, they also offer free food education and create spaces for people to connect and feel welcome at a time when many feel disconnected.
World Food Day takes place on 16th October and this year, the focus is Innovate Today, Nourish Tomorrow. UKHarvest and Chichester District Food Bank are striving to do just this.
Thanks to an innovative project that launched in January this year, UKHarvest is now delivering a Community Grub Club to Chichester District Food Bank, once a month. The Community Grub Clubs take place at the food bank where donations of fresh fruit and vegetables and bread products are donated to the food bank team to distribute to their community. So far, the programme has been a huge success with 43 households and 128 people being supported over three events so far, delivering more than 1 tonne of food.
Chichester District Council's Supporting You team are also at the Grub Club, and are on hand to offer advice on benefits, managing money, debt, housing costs, employment, wellbeing and other cost of living support if needed.
Head of operations at UKHarvest, Simon Thresher has shared that "Working in partnership with Chichester District Food Bank is vital. It means that we can all better support those in need in our communities. The Food Bank is the first point of contact during a food crisis situation. To be able to deliver a Community Grub Club at the Food Bank really cements the provision of fresh, healthy and nutritious food directly to those in immediate need. The Food Bank signposts their users to our Community Food Hubs, where anyone can attend, strengthening the support available. Working so closely with Sarah and her team means we can reach more people in need of food provision support.
Community Grub Clubs offer a less restricted way of collecting food without means testing or referrals. There is a suggested donation, but this is not compulsory.
Sarah Adams, CEO of Chichester District Food Bank shared that We've now run three Community Grub Clubs at our Chichester food bank centre, and from the very first session, they've been well attended. We've also received some great feedback.
People have come along for all sorts of reasons. Some want to pick up some healthy, fresh food; others want to help rescue surplus food from going to waste; and some have heard about the clubs through attending our foodbank sessions for emergency food parcels. Whatever the reason, were incredibly grateful to UKHarvest for this collaboration, as it has been such a boost for people in our community."
As well as working together through Community Grub Club donations, UKHarvest has been working with Chichester District Food Bank for many years, supplying the charity with regular donations of ambient food for their emergency food parcels. The team is now able to make referrals to the food bank if requested, or if they notice someone is finding things more challenging due to circumstantial change or other reasons.
The next Grub Club sessions at Chichester food bank centre are on Thursday 29 Oct, 26 Nov, 17 Dec and 28 Jan. More info on the food banks website here: https://chichesterdistrict.foodbank.org.uk/help-and-advice/ukharvest.
To find out more about the work being done by UKHarvest, visit their website at www.ukharvest.org.uk
