As an organisation our main goal is addressing food insecurity.
Over lockdown we launched an emergency food project. Find out more about that here.
This is our long term strategy to address food insecurity.
We aim to address the main drivers of "food poverty. "
Which are:
1 - lack of finance.
2- lack of nutrition knowledge and cooking skills.
3 -lack of access to affordable healthy food.
4 - lack of cooking facilities/ the ability to use them.
(Info: South Wales Food Poverty Alliance @FoodPowerUK)
How we will do this:
1- Lack of finance.
Living wage jobs
Living wage work placements
Hospitality Employment skills workshops
We will provide work placements paying a living wage UK.
We currently have employed one member of staff through partnering with The Big Issue. This member of staff is now paid a living wage and is a permanent member of staff on a part time contract, this is a flexible role suiting the individuals needs outside of work.
2.Lack of nutrition knowledge and cooking skills
-We will run a Community Food & Nutrition Skills Course and Get Cooking skills courses.
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The nutrition courses are through Cardiff & Vale UHB. Nutrition skills for Life Argoed Cymru Level 1. Lauren has attended this training in order to deliver the course through Wild Thing.
3- Lack of access of affordable food.
We run regular community suppers increasing accessibility to healthy food. We also operate Cathays Community Fridge, which provides access to free food 7 days a week.
Our long term plan is to launch a community food shop making food shopping more affordable.
4. - lack of cooking facilities/ the ability to use them.
We will tailor cooking skills courses to suit different kitchen facilities; such as how to cook with just a kettle or microwave. We will also use this platform to challenge current cooking facilities which are offered in different housing and accommodation - to create change!
PARTNERS.
We are proud to be part of the National Food Service. - which is a new public service, built by and for the communities that it serves. The aim is to eliminate food insecurity and tackle the interconnected issues of social isolation and food waste.
We are part of Food Cardiff and work towards becoming a sustainable food city and address food insecurity working with other third sector and public organisations.
We are a member of FareShare. We use surplus food for community dinners in order to tackle food waste and food insecurity.
In August 2020 we took part n the NFS Summer Symposium. Please see below the webinar on community food projects, Lauren explains about our community food approach.