Agenda item

This report provides an update on the development and progress of the B&NES Fair Food Alliance (BFFA) which was previously known as the B&NES Food Poverty Steering Group on delivering the actions set out in the action plan.

The Public Health Development & Commissioning Manager introduced this report to the Panel, a summary is set out below.

In February 2021 B&NES Food Poverty Steering Group members decided

by consensus to change the name of the partnership to the B&NES Fair Food

Alliance (BFFA) to better reflect a solution focused and collaborative approach to addressing food insecurity. Similarly, we have moved from using the term food poverty to a preference for the term ‘household food insecurity’ to describe a situation where people do not have means to reliably meet their needs for food of sufficient quantity, quality or variety in socially acceptable ways.

The B&NES Fair Food Alliance (BFFA) has met six times since the first

meeting at the start of the first coronavirus lockdown period in March 2020. The

focus has been on understanding the challenges emerging for residents in

relation to immediate food needs and provision of welfare support and

supporting partners in meeting these needs.

The BFFA has provided a network for members to share information, coordinate activity and both offer and request support. Membership currently

stands at over 60 members representing a range of statutory, third sector,

education and independent organisations.

While food insecurity was already an issue facing many households in B&NES prior to the pandemic, the past year has seen a significant increase in demand for support with food and income related issues. A report prepared for

Full Council in January 2021 documents a detailed account provided by BFFA members on increases in Universal Credit claims, crisis financial assistance grants, provision of white goods, referrals to and use of local foodbanks and support with debt issues.

The CropDrop project has been a particular success and has been showcased in national and regional forums as an example of innovative good practice. The team of skilled and experienced volunteers who coordinate it are now planning for the 2021 growing season and are forging links with more growers and recipients including Bath Ethnic Minority Senior Citizens Association (BEMSCA) and the Social Prescribing scheme led by DHI.

The Income Maximisation group meets quarterly and has been chaired

by St John’s Foundation. It invites all those services and voluntary sector

organisations who offer financial support, advice and guidance to share good

practice and present a coordinated message to the public about where best to

seek help with a diverse range of money-related challenges.

Hear My Voice aims to find effective and meaningful ways for the voice of people with lived experience of food insecurity to be heard and to guide the policy and practice response in B&NES.

Claire Henwood, Oasis Pantry addressed the Panel. She explained that the Oasis Pantry opened in September 2020, to fulfil a growing need for long term access to low cost, high quality food. This need had been identified through a number of different channels, including the long-term holiday hunger project run by Oasis (Make Lunch), which developed from bi-weekly clubs with enrichment and hot meals in every school holiday to the delivery of weekly food parcels

for 19 weeks due to Covid-19 as 70% of our Make Lunch families reported difficulties affording food directly as a result of Covid-19.

She added that this model however did nothing to support people to move on from that point of crisis, and so we opened the pantry to support people to find a way to stay out of crisis situations through signposting to other services while reducing pressure on their budget.

Our membership is around 80 active members, and on average around 40 attend on any given week. Reasons for membership are varied: some members have joined because of the impact of Covid-19 on their household situation and finances, eg. because someone in the household has been furloughed or made redundant, or because they don’t qualify for any of the support measures put in place.

We have established strong partnerships with several local charities and agencies. We receive referrals from the Wellbeing Hub, along with other organisations such as DHI, Genesis, Julian House, Foodcycle, Bath Mind, Reach and HomeGroup.

We are part of the Affordable Food Network which has proven to be invaluable in developing both the pantry membership and the pantry offer, eg through connecting us with potential suppliers, highlighting funding opportunities, connecting us with groups able to support our wrap-around care and signposting offer. We’ve been able to extend our immediate network and work more closely with other local charities and have particularly benefitted from this group’s association with Feeding Britain.

She informed the Panel that a second pop-up Pantry was due to open next week in Southdown.

The Chairman asked the following three questions on behalf of Councillor Liz Hardman.

Referring to page 68 she noted that colleagues in public-health will be bringing together a steering group to coordinate and manage holiday and food activities over 2021/22.  She asked how this will work and are organisations like Bath Area Play Project (BAPP) involved.

The Public Health Development & Commissioning Manager replied that BAPP had previously been involved in such work and that the steering group were still open to bids as she believed that plans were not yet finalised.

Referring to page 69 she said that she was delighted to see that an audit tool for schools based on poverty proofing had been included in our Children and Young People‘s Plan 2021 to 2024.  She asked how this will work and what are colleagues in education doing to make sure schools are aware of new law around affordable school uniform.

The Public Health Development & Commissioning Manager replied that is a really useful tool and that it would be used to look at many elements, such as, uniform, school trips and food. She added that work was ongoing to find the best way to make the tool appropriate.

Referring to page 77 she noted that B&NES was taking a money-first approach to supporting people with low income or insecure income and asked what we were doing in practice.

The Health Improvement Officer replied that this work had brought together many organisations including the Independent Advice Fund to offer welfare support and the Affordable Living Network who were in ongoing discussions with the St Johns Foundation.

Councillor Rob Appleyard said that this was one of the most significant pieces of work for our Council. He added that we also need to be mindful of how we address the causes of these problems

Kevin Burnett asked who members of the public could contact for initial help.

Claire Henwood replied that it should be the Community Wellbeing Hub by calling 0300 247 0050 (9am - 5pm Weekdays) or by emailing them (contact@compassioncb.org.uk) and they could then direct them to their nearest food pantry.

The Panel RESOLVED to:

i)  Note the progress since the last report (July 2020) and endorse the new refreshed Food Equity Action Plan and future priorities for the B&NES Fair Food Alliance.

ii)  Promote inclusion of access to affordable healthy food in their work with those who may be at risk of household food insecurity.