KATE’S KITCHEN AT ANNAN TO RECEIVE HELP TO TACKLE FOOD POVERTY

Twenty-one projects, including one in Dumfries and Galloway, will benefit from over £900,000 through a new fund established by the Scottish Government to tackle food poverty

The first wave of the Fair Food Transformation Fund will help initiatives across the country that are seeking to reduce reliance on emergency food aid, by establishing more sustainable approaches to ensuring families can access healthy, nutritious food.

It is part of the overarching £1 million a year Fair Food Fund, with this £900,000 funding being allocated across 2016-17 and 2017-18.

Projects supported include schemes to grow fresh produce, cooking classes, community meals, and community cafes, all of which bring people and communities together in a positive social environment while offering support to those in greatest need.

Kate’s Kitchen at Annan is the only project in Dumfries and Galloway to be included in the the list.

Communities Secretary Angela Constance visited St Paul’s Youth Forum in Blackhill, Glasgow, which has received £46,438 for its ‘Beyond Foodbank’ initiative, which is aiming to move away from emergency food provision.

It runs weekly gardening workshops for young people, and community meals where local people can learn how to make an affordable healthy meal from locally grown produce.

Speaking as she visited St Paul’s Youth Forum, Ms Constance said: “I have been very clear that no-one should have to rely on emergency food provision in Scotland, and this money will help to ensure we can create sustainable solutions to food poverty.

“We want to encourage community based initiatives such as St Paul’s where people are supported in a dignified way and where the underlying causes of food poverty can be addressed.

“And we will continue to work closely with individual projects to help them develop and build sustainable solutions to tackle food poverty across Scotland.”

Neil Young, Youth Team Leader from St Paul’s Youth Forum, said:

“We’re delighted to receive funding from the Scottish Government’s Fair Food Transformation Fund. This will enable us to help people in food poverty in Blackhill/Provanmill to move beyond the shame and embarrassment that comes with being dependent on Food Banks and instead be assets in their community, contributing alongside others as equals.

“From its conception, this project has been community led, and people are taking pride in seeing what they can produce from cucumbers, to pizza, eggs and honey. The project will endeavour to ensure that no one goes hungry, and the power is shifted from being dependent on others to helping each other to find a community solution to an on-going problem.”