How to involve the wider community, tackling inequalities and being inclusive

Name of host: Johnny Denis

Who took part: Dawn Boxall, Claire Murray, Wendy Jackson, Roger Murray, Chloe Anthony, Giles Dickens, Amanda Geary, Padraig Breatnach, Pippa Johns, Amelia

  • introduction from host – how to make food accessible and affordable to people on lower incomes, how to be inclusive (also in Transition Town project in general)
  • sharing small gardens – sharing responsibility for growing – growing crops and sharing them
  • community orchards, community gardens
  • linking people who can grow, have skills with those who would like to
  • Landport allotments linking with Pells Primary School – in general schools linking with allotment holders – intergenerational
  • permanent farmers market, travelling farmers market (one day per week in Cliffe, one day per week in Landport, etc) – issue of threatening small shops
  • local producers having ways of selling their produce in local shops
  • perception of farmers market being more expensive than supermarkets
  • education as a key issue
  • education in growing, cooking and eating
  • children’s education in growing, cooking and eating, improving government targets and national curriculum, DES already has a compulsory Healthy Schools Programme and an optional Sustainable Schools programe
  • next academic year is the Year of Food and Farming very child should have an opportunity to visit a farm
  • reskilling needed
  • Food and Health Partnership has a community chef, Robin, who offers cookery classes
  • problems of perception and food culture: buying (affordability, seasonal food), cooking (skills, time), eating (family meal)
  • sharing meals in the home, friends and wider community – Saturday lunch in primary schools
  • starting lots of projects to engage the community
  • how to engage the community: specifically target/market to lower income areas, inform lower income areas
  • Healthy Start vouchers for farmers market
  • work with local butchers, fishmongers, etc to welcome in the community, open days, etc
  • farmers market marketing – similar to supermarkets, ie offers, simple veggie bags for a fixed price
  • veggie bag collection points at schools linked with classroom projects (recipes)
  • projects should be targeted universally
  • the 4 a’s of access: availability, affordability, awareness (skills and knowledge), acceptability
  • information available about existing projects, resources

Get involved: contact hello [at] TransitionTownLewes.org.uk