Sustainable Food Newham has become the newest member of the national Sustainable Food Place network.
- Local partnership group achieves membership of national network
- Range of partners includes Council, schools, voluntary, community and faith sector, health, businesses
- More residents and stakeholders will soon be invited to get involved
Sustainable Food Newham has become the newest member of the national Sustainable Food Place network, which is made up of local cross-sector partnerships from across the UK. The milestone is in recognition of its efforts to change the food system for the better, with residents’ needs being a priority.
The application to join the national network recognised the work already taking place in Newham, including food waste projects with East Ham’s Nutrition Kitchen, food growing projects in more than 20 schools and the recently developed cargo bike hub based at the Renewal Programme, which helps to distribute surplus food around the borough.
Sustainable Food Newham’s ambitions are to scale up these current projects and explore new areas to work with local businesses, community groups and residents to bring healthy, sustainable and affordable food to everyone in Newham. Sustainable Food Newham is keen to continue expanding and is encouraging individuals and community groups to join their efforts.
Councillor Neil Wilson, Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care said:
“I am delighted that Sustainable Food Newham has been recognised in this way. In Newham we know that a food system with less waste is essential for a sustainable future.
“We have previously been praised for our forward thinking work on Eat for Free where we have turned a universal meals scheme not just into meals for children but into a programme that promotes whole school approaches to food, a community wealth building approach that protects workers’ terms and conditions in school kitchens and action on the climate emergency.
“We are delighted to join other leaders to promote change in the food system in the Sustainable Food Places network. It is a testament to our hard work, vision and commitment to taking a strategic approach to food.”
The Sustainable Food Newham partnership includes representatives of Newham Council, the voluntary sector, education, health, and business. This group will bridge the gap between the Newham Food Alliance’s work on food security and the borough’s wider sustainability ambitions.
The national Sustainable Food Places network consists of local partnerships that are using food to bring about positive change and to tackle some of the biggest social, economic and environmental issues in the food system. The partnerships’ work ranges from tackling food poverty and diet related ill-health, to promoting people and planet friendly food and supporting independent food businesses on high streets within local economies.
Leon Ballin, Sustainable Food Places programme manager, said:
“In more than 90 towns and cities across the UK, individuals and organisations have come together to develop a joint vision of the kind of food culture and food system they would like to see and are working together to make that vision a reality.
“Sustainable Food Newham has shown a real ambition to transform things for the better and we are delighted to be able to support them in achieving their goals.”
This is a continuation of longstanding large sustainable food projects in the borough, most notably Eat for Free. It is the UK’s oldest Universal Free School Meals programme, after being introduced in 2009. It means every primary school pupil in Newham is offered a nutritious hot meal every day.
There are plans to create further opportunities to local people through Sustainable Food Newham, with residents and organisations being encouraged to visit www.sustainablefoodplaces.org/members/newham/ and to contact sustainablefood@newham.gov.uk for more information.