Communities Taking Action: Food & Community
Learn how Londoners have been supported by four organisations to access healthy food and create strong communities, tackling issues of food insecurity and isolation during COVID
By Mayor of London
Co-curated with the Community-Led Action grantees
Community Garden (2022) by Granville Community KitchenMayor of London
Introduction
In January 2021, the Mayor of London's Community Engagement Team launched the Mayor’s Community-Led Recovery Programme. The programme aims to facilitate engagement, involvement and collaboration with London’s diverse communities who have been most deeply affected by COVID-19.
It includes the Community-Led Action (CLA) programme. Grants have been awarded to 15 community organisations to initiate social action projects which gather insights focused on the impact of COVID-19 on their communities.
The organisations' social action projects demonstrate how the Mayor's recovery missions can be successfully delivered. 11 recovery missions have been designed to facilitate London's recovery from the pandemic by focusing on key areas in the economic, social and health sectors.
Community Garden Team (2022) by Evelyn Tenants and Residents AssociationMayor of London
London's Recovery: Food & Community
A lack of access to affordable, nutritious food, known as food insecurity, and related issues of obesity and poor physical health were prevalent issues before the pandemic. Impacts of COVID, such as loss of income and lack of exercise during the lockdowns, worsened these issues.
Additionally, the lockdowns during the pandemic caused and contributed to feelings of isolation and a lack of a sense of belonging to a community. Being part of a community is key for ensuring Londoners have access to the support and services they need to be healthy and happy.
Mothers of Hackney Food Coop Launch - Supplying Food (2022) by National Food Service LondonMayor of London
The Mayor is on a mission to ensure that by 2025, all of London’s families will find it easier to access and eat healthy food and be active where they live, learn, shop, work and play.
The Mayor is also on a mission to ensure all Londoners have access to a community hub by 2025 so that they can volunteer, get support and build strong community networks, making London a more equal and inclusive city post COVID.
1) Evelyn Tenants and Residents Association (ETRA)
Community gardens can provide space and opportunities needed for relaxation, connecting with others and developing skills, such as gardening to provide fresh food for the community. ETRA used the community garden model to address the issues of isolation and food insecurity.
Community Garden Team (2022) by Evelyn Tenants and Residents AssociationMayor of London
Evelyn Tenants and Residents Association: Community Garden
Evelyn Tenants and Residents Association (ETRA) represents the community of the Evelyn estate in Deptford. The Evelyn Community Garden project involved the creation of a thriving community garden in the heart of the estate, built by over 100 residents and around 40 volunteers.
The community garden project focused on engaging individuals from BAME backgrounds, as these communities have been hit the hardest by the pandemic. A survey on residents' priorities for the estate’s COVID recovery revealed that access to outdoor space was a top priority.
Garden Team in Action (2022) by Evelyn Tenants and Residents AssociationMayor of London
Garden building sessions enabled residents to socialise safely after lockdown whilst learning new skills and contributing to the community. This enabled new friendships and connections to form. Sydenham Garden delivered health and wellbeing sessions to improve wellbeing.
The garden provides an outdoor space for residents on their doorstep, encouraging them to use the space to improve wellbeing and grow their own food. ETRA intend to connect with the Evelyn community store to provide fresh vegetables for the 100 families who use the store weekly.
2) South Norwood Community Kitchen: Kitchen Table
Sharing food can provide a much-needed opportunity for connecting with people and building a community. South Norwood Community Kitchen bring people together through the sharing of a nutritious meal, tackling the issues of food insecurity and poor wellbeing.
Jewellery Activity (Photo by Laura Whittal) (2022) by South Norwood Community KitchenMayor of London
South Norwood Community Kitchen: Kitchen Table
South Norwood Community Kitchen was founded in 2016 to use the power of food to bring the community together. They strive to create free, equal and accessible community spaces where people can build relationships, have a voice and access what they need.
The Kitchen Table is a weekly community hub. Local people share a nutritious meal, have discussions about issues affecting them, take part in activities and access one to one support and advice around issues, for example, relating to benefits, housing and health.
Sewing Activity (Photo by Laura Whittal) (2022) by South Norwood Community KitchenMayor of London
The hub is led by community organisers, comprising individuals disproportionately impacted by the pandemic therefore are best placed to lead the community’s recovery. Sessions have included arts and crafts activities, mother and baby gatherings and support with health conditions.
The Kitchen Table has provided over 2,800 meals for local people in need, using food that would have gone to waste. The project has also distributed fresh fruit and vegetables and other groceries to local families and residents, ensuring they have access to healthy food.
3) Granville Community Kitchen
Granville Community Kitchen work with farmers in the UK and abroad to provide affordable fresh, nutritious and culturally-appropriate food to their community in South Kilburn. This was already an area of high deprivation and COVID has had a disproportionate impact.
Group Photo (2022) by Granville Community KitchenMayor of London
Granville Community Kitchen: Good Food Box
Granville Community Kitchen (GCK) is an ethical, sustainable and culturally diverse community food hub in South Kilburn, offering food-centred activities, services, education and training accessible and open to all. They amplify voices and advocate for structural change.
Good Food Box - Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Contents with African Caribbean Additions (2022) by Granville Community KitchenMayor of London
The Good Food Box (GFB) was set up in October 2020 in response to the many challenges that the community has been facing in accessing fresh produce, an issue exacerbated by the pandemic. The GFB offers fresh, seasonal and ethically sourced produce, catering for all cultures.
Food Aid (2022) by Granville Community KitchenMayor of London
GCK deliver food aid to over 1,200 people a week. Volunteers fill bags with surplus food from City Harvest and additional food items. The GFB offers fruit and veg bags at varied prices to enable food aid users to transition to a sustainable model of accessing nutritious food.
Community Garden (2022) by Granville Community KitchenMayor of London
Another part of the project is the Granville Community Kitchen garden. There are four growing sites in South Kilburn and GCK hope to be able to supply the GFB with vegetables throughout the growing season in 2022.
Volunteers can help out in the garden, sharing their skills and learning from others. The garden grows and strengthens the community and positively contributes to the community's physical and mental wellbeing.
4) National Food Service London
National Food Service London (NFSL) have adopted the food-cooperative model to enable their community in North-East London to access nutritious and cultural foods at affordable prices. Food-coops empower the community, giving them control over buying and sharing food they want.
Mothers of Hackney Food Coop Group Photo (2022) by National Food Service LondonMayor of London
NFSL: Community Food Organising in North-East London
National Food Service London (NFSL) is a collective of food-lovers, cooks, growers, activists and organisers. Their mission is to create a world where communities face no barriers to creating their own sustainable and diverse food systems, ensuring all have access to food.
Mothers of Hackney Food Coop Launch - Supplying Food (2022) by National Food Service LondonMayor of London
Food Cooperatives
NFSL's community food organising project has been supporting North Hackney residents experiencing food insecurity to set up food cooperatives with neighbours. These food co-ops comprise small buying groups, providing members with free and affordable groceries sourced in bulk.
NFSL uses Cooperation Town's food co-op model. Cooperation Town also help to run NFSL's workshops.
Mothers of Hackney Food Coop Launch - Serving Food (2022) by National Food Service LondonMayor of London
Mothers of Hackney Food Co-Op
For example, NFSL helped to launch the Mothers of Hackney Food Co-op in December 2021, with an event at The Round Chapel Old School Rooms in Clapton. This included a free community food market, a free community meal and children's art activities.
Workshop - Words Activity (2022) by National Food Service LondonMayor of London
Participatory Action Research Workshops
To inform their future strategy to support the development of a just, sustainable food system in North-East London, NFSL delivered participatory action research workshops with their team and local residents. This focused on everyday and emotional experiences of the food system.
Workshop - Drinks Exercise (2022) by National Food Service LondonMayor of London
Research and workshops included surveys, focus groups, community mapping, food object exercises and food diaries. Key themes emerged including gender equity, gentrification impacting cultural foods access and cultural heritage influencing understanding of nourishment from food.
Recommendations developed during this research include ideas to deliver cultural food events with political discussion, establishing a permanent NFSL space and setting up a lunch club.
