News / Bristol Local Food Fund
A more accessible source of funding for projects tackling food insecurity
Almost 20 community food projects across Bristol have received a total of £60,000 through “participatory grantmaking”.
It is the first tranche of funding from the Bristol Local Food Fund which aims to create a more accessible source of funding for projects tackling food insecurity.
After money was raised through crowdfunding campaign in 2021, a panel of people with lived experience of food insecurity was set up to review the applications and make the final funding decisions.
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Funded projects include APE Project CIC, which manages St Paul’s Adventure Playground, for their Food for Thought programme, providing free hot meals to children that attend the playground, as well as helping grow vegetables in their community garden.
Also receiving £5,000 is the Knowle West Health Association to fund the equipment and ingredients required to run a year’s worth of community cookery classes in their Community Kitchen.
Bristol Somali Youth Voice received £2,000 to deliver educational workshops on food budgeting, reducing food waste, healthy eating and accessing good quality, nutritional food.
Bristol Local Food Fund organisers are now exploring opportunities with Bristol’s food and business community to grow the fund and help make a positive long-term impact on food insecurity in Bristol – photo: Bristol Local Food Fund
Bristol Local Food Fund founder, Michael Lloyd-Jones said: “It’s wonderful to see the first round of funding going out to some fantastic community food projects.
“The need for this kind of support has only grown over the last 18 months with the cost of living crisis driving food insecurity to unprecedented levels. We hope this is just the beginning.”
Lucy Gilbert, head of research & learning at Quartet Community Foundation, added: “It’s been exciting to work with BLFF on a participatory process that works for communities most in need.
“Our Citizens Panel brought unique knowledge and experience, and we feel it has resulted in a really valuable grant programme, supporting things that lots of funders won’t, like core costs.”
Main photo: Bristol Local Food Fund
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