Food Partnership set to bring communities together
16 Dec 2020 ARCHIVED (over 3 months old) - view latest news
A partnership to help bring forward sustainable food solutions for communities in Northumberland has been set up by the council.
The Food Partnership will see the council’s Northumberland Communities Together (NCT) team working with voluntary organisations to help respond to the current food emergency, as a result of Coronavirus, as well as looking to the future and long-term solutions.
NCT is supporting five local food partnerships to design, develop and deliver sustainable solutions that meet the needs of their communities now and in to the future. The partnership builds upon the excellent work already being done by an army of voluntary and community groups along with local business and food delivery providers across Northumberland.
The vision for the Food Partnership is to create a future that delivers safe, healthy, affordable food solutions for communities; helps to break the cycle of dependency in relation to emergency food assistance; encourages positive behavioural change around food and is robust in the face of future demands.
The partnership will also be considering food in line with environmental concerns, such as food waste, surplus food, and access to nutrition.
The five voluntary organisations involved in the initiative are:
- Berwick upon Tweed Community Development Trust (North),
- Northumberland Community Enterprise Ltd (Castle Morpeth),
- Adapt Northeast (West),
- Sustainable Community Enterprises North East (SCENE - Ashington, Blyth)
- SCENE (Cramlington, Bedlington & Seaton Valley)
With funding from the North of Tyne Combined Authority’s Recovery Fund each area has been given £20k to develop projects and initiatives in their communities.
Thom Bradley, of SCENE, said: “This partnership will allow us to look at developing sustainable food solutions to help people who are suffering as a result of Covid, but we will also be able to look to the future to think about how we can work with communities to help themselves and give them the skills they need.
“The type of projects this may include is looking at ways of supporting residents in growing their own food by providing planters or growing kits or identifying areas in our communities where we could create more space for allotments.”
Cllr Veronica Jones, cabinet member responsible for the NCT initiative said: “The purpose of the Food Partnership is to co-produce a vision and delivery platform for the kind of food system that we want to see in Northumberland and a plan for how to achieve that vision through effective partnership working and collaboration.
“We have seen an increase in the demand on things like Food Banks as a result of Covid and our communities have as ever, pulled together and supported those most in need. With this partnership and through this funding we want to be able to create a positive legacy which can bring about change in people’s lives.
“The partnership will help provide emergency assistance and support that offers choice and promotes dignity and compassion in relation to support for people experiencing hardship and food poverty.”
The food partnership supports a cross-party working group led by Equality and Diversity Champion at the council, Cllr Wendy Pattison. She said: “The working group has been focusing on food poverty and developing a sustainable plan to tackle disadvantage across the county.”
The food partnership will meet on a regular basis to share ideas and develop initiatives across the county.
NCT was launched in response to the Coronavirus pandemic to make sure our residents are kept safe and well throughout the crisis and provide coordination to support individual volunteers, voluntary groups and communities across our county. If you, or anyone you know is struggling you can contact the NCT Response Hub on 01670 620015 between 9am to 6pm, seven days a week, or email NCT@northumberland.gov.uk