Nourishing Communities scheme for families is latest initiative from Living Well partnership between Bradford Metropolitan District Council and the NHS
A new, £12,000-a-year food voucher scheme for struggling families was launched this afternoon (September 11) in Bradford. The Nourishing Communities scheme is funded by Living Well – a partnership between the local council and NHS – and will be delivered by local charity Inn Churches, through its existing FoodSavers programme.
Photo by Aarón Blanco Tejedor / Unsplash
The new scheme will provide eligible people facing food insecurity with vouchers that they can use to by fresh fruit and vegetables from the new Darley Street Market and other participating retailers across the region. The vouchers are intended to a short-term, practical means of help; the scheme also includes support to secure lasting change so that the vouchers are no longer needed.
The vouchers will be issued to people with long-term health conditions who are experiencing food insecurity, following a referral and assessment.
The FoodSavers programme has been piloted for the past two years, in partnership with traders at Oastler Market – who have now moved to the new Darley Street Market.
Gunther, owner of Roswitha’s Deli at Darley Street Market, says: ‘It’s great to see people spending in the right way. Buying good quality ingredients and cooking from scratch. It’s much better than food that is high in fat, sugar or salt, it helps to build healthier eating habits.”
Cllr Sue Duffy, Portfolio Holder for Children and Families and Living Well, adds: ‘Living Well is our programme aimed at supporting the wellbeing of people across our district. Nourishing Communities is a cash-first scheme that promotes dignity, choice, and autonomy while supporting the local economy. I’m pleased that this new investment will help contribute towards tackling inequalities and help improve the lives of some of our most under-served communities.’
Tim Howells, Head of Public Health at Bradford Council, says: ‘Food insecurity affects over 20% of people living across the Bradford district. We’re pleased to announce investment into this local programme to help reduce the need for people to access emergency food provision, and to help contribute towards improving the diets of people with long term health conditions. This is a key pillar of the district’s Good Food strategy.’
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