How an innovative new plan is helping to put food on Mancunian tables
Dozens of families in Manchester did not go hungry this winter thanks to an innovative new programme to help combat food poverty.
Since the onset of the cost-of-living crisis Manchester City Council has been acutely aware that basic food items have soared in price, making it harder and harder to provide a healthy and nutritious meal.
That is why the Our Manchester Food Partnership, working with our own Children’s Centres and Venner Nutrition, have been working to combat food insecurity by providing healthy and balanced food boxes to families and working to empower people with the skills and resources to feed themselves.
Running from October to December last year a total of 96 ingredient boxes were delivered to families in Early Years settings. Inside these boxes there were a range of ingredients and food staples.
In addition to the food boxes this scheme also worked with parents to help them make better choices when it comes to food, providing more information on how to make meals that are nutritionally balanced, the benefits of trying new and healthier foods, and providing recipes and resources to help people cook new things.
Above all, the scheme was about promoting long-term and lasting changes in attitudes towards food, making mealtimes fun rather than daunting.
Over the course of the programme a lot of positive feedback was passed on from participants.
One family said: “My children don’t really eat vegetables but they did get excited when they saw the big box of food and what the different vegetables were. The kids tried vegetables they never tried before – I don’t buy a lot of vegetables, the kids usually waste it.”
Councillor Joanna Midgley, Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council said: “Deprivation and a lack of access to healthy and nutritious food can have a hugely negative impact on people’s health and especially the development of young children
“Through this trial programme we wanted to expand our offer of just offering food parcels, providing greater wrap-around support and tackling some of the real issues behind food poverty.
“Providing recipes and practical advice on how to cook, information on what foods to choose and how healthy options can be incorporated into a wide range of meals is as equally as important as just providing the food itself to eat.
“I’m proud of the success we’ve seen here as it demonstrates the many ways in which the Council is working to end food insecurity and hunger.”
