Community Based Responses to Food Poverty

in Glasgow Canal Ward

Background

This piece of work was conducted on behalf of the Thriving Places Groups in Ruchill & Possilpark and Lambhill & Milton, which comprise the Canal Ward. The aim of this work was to conduct a mapping of current community based responses to alleviate food poverty in the Canal Ward, Glasgow; and reflect on how this links to best practice, current policy direction in Scotland, suggesting opportunities for how this work could be progressed in the Canal Ward.

Method

A range of different services were identified within Ruchill & Possilpark, and Lambhill & Milton Thriving Place areas which comprise the Canal Ward. Partners within the Ward who deliver food related work were interviewed using semi-structured questions to ensure all areas of interest were captured. These findings were then analysed, alongside current policies, and best practice.

This report focuses on current work which is taking place; identifies the gaps within current provision and presents opportunities which could improve the food poverty response in the Canal Ward. The mapping and report development was conducted between December 2017 and March 2018.

Findings

An overview of the provision in the Canal Ward can be found in Appendix one. The overview illustrates that there is a large range of food based work in the Canal Ward, but that this varies within and between organisations.

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Type of provision

Some of the services provided are as an immediate response to provide access to food, on an individual basis, based on actual or perceived need, for example food parcels and food banks. These immediate responses at the community level are not necessarily emergency responses, but may be a semi-regular provision to those who are linked with services and on a low-income.

Others respond at a community based level to ensure access to food based on local knowledge of ongoing experiences of hunger and difficulties in accessing food. These community based approaches have a social aspect and are open to anyone, reducing the potential for stigmatisation and acting as a conduit for individuals to connect and develop social networks for example, breakfast clubs and community meals.

A range of provision looks at the core knowledge and skills required at an individual level to have a nutritionally balanced diet. This is frequently though the delivery of training to improve knowledge in relation to food and nutrition; and skills in relation to budgeting and cooking which can support individuals to respond to day-to-day challenges of living on low or very low incomes. A number of the programmes involve the opportunity to volunteer and gain qualifications which can assist an individual’s employability journey.

Another way local organisations are supporting the community to respond to food insecurity is local community garden projects. There are a number of community gardens within the Ward which enable residents to grow their own food, creating a sustainable and nutritious food source at low cost.

Additionally, a range of support to help local people maximise their income and manage associated issues such as debt, welfare rights support, and fuel advice is available from local Housing Associations and Glasgow North West Citizens Advice Bureau. However, these financial inclusion services do not tend to operate alongside the food programmes being delivered within the Ward.

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Breadth of provision

The neighbourhood profiles for Ruchill and Possilpark(1) and Lambhill and Milton(2) illustrate that the population demographics within both Thriving Places neighbourhoods are fairly similar, although Lambhill and Milton has approximately 3,000 more people living within the neighbourhood.

The table in Appendix one highlights that more activity is taking place within Possilpark. However, it should be noted that many local residents from Lambhill and Milton report that they frequently access services provided within Possilpark, as there are more opportunities available.

The mapping exercise has identified limited coordination of food programmes, which means that the spread of provision over the course of a week or day is not maximised. The manner in which some programmes are offered means that some population groups may be excluded from a diversity of provision, for example family meal and homework programmes are aimed at families, however without the adequate support and capacity families with pre-fives may be unable to access the programme.

Furthermore, individuals and families experiencing in-work poverty or struggling to manage on low incomes may be left without adequate support locally, due to the majority of delivery times for services being during weekdays, with very few, being delivered in the evenings or at weekends.

It was reported by interviewees that the same individuals access and use the same provisions regularly, which may suggest a gap in welfare support. Twelve out of the Twenty two respondents felt this type of provision may be having a negative impact, and could lead to the creation of a culture of dependency.

Although a range of services are working to respond to food poverty in the Canal Ward, there is currently no robust process to ensure vulnerable individuals and families who require support for hunger and food poverty issues are identified and supported.

It is worth noting that this mapping of provision is not exhaustive and it is likely that additional support is offered by others in, and nearby, the Ward. There

Page 3 of 12 will always be unmapped provision in the Ward as there is a lot of community spirit and networks of families and friends in the neighbourhood who undoubtedly support each other in times of need.

Food Source

Twelve out of the twenty two partners listed in the table are members of FareShare. FareShare Glasgow & the West of Scotland redistributes quality surplus food to groups working with vulnerable people in and around Glasgow and the West of Scotland. Becoming a member of FareShare allows organisations to:

 Choose how much food they receive - on average members receive five trolleys worth of food per week.  Choose the type of food – parcels cover everything from meat, dairy and fish to veg, pasta and tins. The exact food received depends on what becomes surplus that week.  Get a regular supply of food – orders can be collected from the local Centre or they can be delivered.  Receive guidance on food safety – relevant to the food being received.  Access related training - including food hygiene, SVQ, health and safety, warehouse distribution and forklift training.

Discussion

The Fairer Scotland Action Plan(3) is the main policy driver in relation to Poverty in Scotland, Action 20 specifically addresses the issue of food poverty, and emphasis that the focus should be on “enabling more people to have access to affordable, healthy, nutritious food, in a dignified way”.

The fund which enables this policy driver, the Fair Food Fund focuses on “projects that offer a dignified response to food poverty... providing new opportunities for people on low incomes to access fresh and healthy food; share a meal; and develop new skills.”

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Dignity: Ending Hunger Together in Scotland(4) - The Report of the Independent Working Group on Food Poverty report highlights that when it comes to tackling food poverty society should focus on the five following sections:

1. Treat people in food insecurity with dignity as the core principle which runs through all potential solutions. 2. Understand the scale of the problem in order that we can address it more effectively. 3. Focus on how we prevent food insecurity and hunger from occurring in the first place. 4. Respond more effectively when people do fall into food insecurity and hunger. 5. Invest in creating more sustainable, longer-term and more life-enriching solutions to food insecurity.

Upon review of the findings of the mapping, it is clear that change and benefit to local people would be achieved by reflection on these themes at a Ward level. These themes could help guide dialogue and collaboration based on the challenges faced by the current response to food poverty in the Canal Ward. These challenges included:

 Ungoverned and constrained partnership working and limited communication between organisations reduces potential to address food poverty effectively.  The challenging economic climate, whereby organisations are often competing for the same funding opportunities resulting in poor communication regarding proposals and delivery.  Limited capacity to reach beyond those currently engaged with an organisation results in challenges reaching others in the community who may be in need.  Limited coordination and action at a Ward level to ensure the root causes of food poverty are being identified and addressed.

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 Short-term funding means there are difficulties in ensuring continued and consistent delivery to develop capacity, address root causes and respond positively when individuals experience crisis.

Example of Practice: A Menu for Change

A Menu for Change is a response to address root causes of Food Poverty in North Lanarkshire. The partnership approach enables a robust Food Poverty Referral Gateway; supported by the Council, Scottish Welfare Fund, local food banks and a range of other partners.

The model aims to reduce dependency and need for emergency food provision.

When individuals attend a local food bank they are engaged in a conversation to find out the reason behind access; a set of questions help staff identify any needs and the Referral Gateway is utilised to ensure a range of support is offered based on individuals circumstances, for example; if an individual is in crisis they could be supported to apply to the Scottish Welfare Fund; if they have been sanctioned, they could be supported to challenge the decision; or if they have recently become unemployed, they could be linked to employability support.

This approach supports an individual to identify and tackle the root cause of their problem, sometimes on their first engagement. This can result in a reduction in ongoing need for emergency food provision.

Early evidence from this approach suggests that there has been a reduction in access of emergency food provision in the project area.

A report about how to replicate the Food Poverty Referral Gateway is currently in development. Further information can be found at https://menuforchange.org.uk

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Opportunities Moving Forward

A number of changes are required in order to shift to a more upstream approach to food poverty in the Canal Ward. At all times these must remain focused on providing support in a dignified and empowering manner. The community, particularly those with experience of food poverty and insecurity, should be at the core of informing developments and practice.

The Thriving Places areas, Canal Area Partnership and Glasgow Community Planning Partnership have the opportunity to encourage stronger partnership working within the ward and influence a move to sustainable, dignified and capacity building approach to food poverty.

Opportunities for collaborative work

 Involvement of people who have experienced food poverty in the development of new ways of working

 Increased opportunity for dialogue between local people, current food based interventions, local businesses and relevant support services (e.g. Financial Inclusion Services)

 Coordinated approaches to allocation of funding and applications for future funding

 Consider best practice and facilitate active discussion about potential collaborative action e.g. Community Food Hub, Referral pathway, linking skills based support to emergency provision.

 Production and promotion of food based assets in the Ward (and near- by) including days and times of service delivery.

These approaches sit well with the Ending Poverty Together in Scotland – The Report of the Independent Working Group on Food Poverty(4)

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References

1. Understanding Glasgow Neighbourhood Profiles (2012) Ruchill and Possilpark. Accessed at: http://www.understandingglasgow.com/assets/0002/1278/Ruchill_and_ Possilpark.pdf 2. Understanding Glasgow Neighbourhood Profiles (2012) Lambhill and Milton. Accessed at: http://www.understandingglasgow.com/assets/0002/1262/Lambhill_an d_Milton.pdf 3. The Scottish Government (2016) Fairer Scotland Action Plan. Accessed at: http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2016/10/9964/7 ) 4. The Scottish Government (2016) Ending Poverty Together in Scotland – The Report of the Independent Working Group on Food Poverty. Accessed at: http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0050/00502395.pdf

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Appendix One: Canal Ward food-work

Programmes 2017/18 (could be Name of Organisation demos, short courses, ongoing) Location Clients Cost to access Focus Type Cookery and snacks in /youth provisions Food Parcels Crisis & early Breakfast Club Ruchill & Youths, Adults & Intervention & North United Communities (NUC) Holiday Programmes Milton Families Free Capacity building Breakfast Clubs Food Parcels Swap Shop Community Meals Crisis School holiday programmes (breakfast Intervention & NG Homes & lunch) Possilpark Families Free Capacity building Breakfast Club Crisis Cookery classes Free / £4 for intervention, Cook n’ Care Service Community wide cook n' care Sustainability, Possobilities & Cook n’ Care Possilpark access service capacity building 6-week cookery programmes All services are Community Café free apart Afternoon Tea from Crisis Community intervention, Community Meal Community wide Café which Sustainability, Food bags Young Possil Futures Possilpark access cost £2 capacity building

Intervention Benview Campus Breakfast Club Ruchill Children in School Free Work

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Programmes 2017/18 (could be Name of Organisation demos, short courses, ongoing) Location Clients Cost to access Focus Type 6-week Cookery Programme Intervention Seasonal On a Budget Programmes work, Capacity Cookery Demo building, Family Meal and Homework Community led North Glasgow Healthy Living Programmes in partnership with Anyone aged 16+ & action, Community (NGHLC) Schools All areas family work Free sustainability Intervention work & capacity Stepping Stones for Families (SSFF) Breakfast Club Possilpark Families Free building Crisis intervention, Sustainability, Hawthorn Housing Association Food Parcels Possilpark Tenants Free capacity building Homework Cafes Food Parcels Growing Spaces Free snacks and meals with courses. Holiday Programmes Lunch Clubs Tenants but open to Crisis Cookery Classes Ruchill & anyone who lives intervention, Queens Cross Housing Breakfast Clubs Possilpark locally Free capacity building Resilience food work in Possilpark Working on a food area map Sustainability, Propagate Eco projects City Wide Everyone Free capacity building

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Programmes 2017/18 (could be Name of Organisation demos, short courses, ongoing) Location Clients Cost to access Focus Type Cookery classes/ workshop sessions Community Meals Food growing Capacity building, Sustainability, Allotments Ruchill, Intervention, Harvest days Possilpark Community led Concrete Gardens Food celebration days & Lambhill Everyone Free action Ruchill & Community wide The Courtyard Cafe Breakfast Clubs Possilpark access Free Intervention work Ruchill & Community wide Sustainability & Ruchill Allotments Growing Spaces Possilpark access Free intervention work Craft Café Kinship Homework Club Crisis Baby Café intervention, Clay Community Church Ruchill & Sustainability, The Grove Street Connect Possilpark Adults and families Free capacity building Cookery sessions Intervention One free meal a day work, Capacity building & North Individuals with sustainability Addaction Glasgow addictions Free work Fruit and Veg Barras Cookery Programmes Sugar Smart Programmes Intervention Coffee Mornings Possilpark work, Capacity & Milton Free although building & Community Meals North Glasgow Community Food (and North Community wide donations are sustainability Initiative (NGCFI) Community Garden Glasgow) access welcomed work

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Programmes 2017/18 (could be Name of Organisation demos, short courses, ongoing) Location Clients Cost to access Focus Type Food Parcels Food crisis & Lambhill & intervention GHA Eat Well Milton Tenants Free work. Food Parcels Food crisis & intervention Cadder Housing Association Food Voucher Cadder Tenants Free work. Community wide St. Vincent De Paul Food Bank St. access (North Augustine’s Parish Church Food Bank Milton Glasgow) Free Food crisis Breastfeeding and Weaning classes Intervention and North West sustainability Health Improvement Team Nutrition skills and REHIS Training Glasgow Adults Free work Food Crisis, Trussell Trust Foodbank, Kelvinside Food Bank, Food vouchers, food Community wide Financial Parish Church parcels Ruchill access Free Inclusion

Community wide access from North Sustainability & Hamiltonhill Allotment Growing Spaces Possilpark Glasgow Free intervention work

T his information was captured between Dec 17-March 18 and is self-reported. Some of the provisi on listed is offered regu larly and some is o nly available at specific times of the year, and is often dependant on the availability of funding.

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