Food Matters supported 10 London based Food Partnerships to grow, develop and move beyond emergency food provision following the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the significant benefits of partnership working to address food insecurity. At the start of the pandemic, London local authorities and civil society partners came together rapidly to respond to Covid-19’s impact on London’s food system.
We were asked to develop a curriculum to support the development and existing work of food partnerships in 10 participating London boroughs.
Food Matters worked with Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming funded by the Greater London Authority to support these food partnerships to move beyond emergency food provision and towards a more sustainable food system that addresses the root causes of food insecurity.
Before drawing up a curriculum, Food Matters first listened to the project teams in each of the boroughs to understand their needs. We supported individual organisational reviews which determined the different topic-based group learning sessions and bespoke support needed for each borough. The topics included:
We learnt how important it was to really listen. Before developing a curriculum, we listened to each food partnership to determine their individual needs and experience so the curriculum we delivered was fit for purpose.
We also learnt that although Food Matters was able to draw on and share extensive experience and resources from the Sustainable Food Places programme, we found that creating the opportunity for peer learning between project cohort members was a valuable experience for us and them.
Reach out to the Food Matters team to find out more about what we do, get involved or to collaborate with us on a future project.
Get in touch with the Food Matters team to find out more about what we do or get involved. We also want to hear from you if you would like to collaborate with us on a future project.
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Change is more likely to happen in a supportive culture. That’s why we work with people across the whole system. In a prison setting, our approach is holistic, so we work with health services, prison officers, management, catering and procurement staff as well as individuals serving sentences. Within government departments, we work with those responsible for policies and practice.
Outside of a prison setting, within the community, we work with disadvantaged groups and their support staff. Not only offenders and people at risk of offending, but also within the fields of:
If you work for a prison or other organisation and want to discuss how we could support you in changing your food system, contact [email protected]
“Food Matters Inside and Out is one of the most robust small studies in a prison that I’ve seen.”
~Wandsworth HMP, Deputy Governor
Get in touch – [email protected]
We deliver food and wellbeing courses inside the criminal justice system and out. We’ve worked with inmates and staff, young offenders, substance misusers, young mums and disadvantaged men and women.
FAB! Food and wellbeing
These courses can be run face to face or online with people inside and outside the criminal justice system. Find out more
Feel Good Food Club
This is in-cell, distance learning with a twist and is available across England. Contact [email protected] to find out more.
Our courses include practical toolkits, healthy eating workshops, cooking courses and peer support training. They focus on:
All courses use motivational techniques to gently guide participants towards change. Out in the community we deliver both face to face and online sessions.
Our courses have been evaluated and found to significantly positively influence the food choices of prisoners.
“I found the [programme] very helpful to understand foods that are doing us both good and bad inside the prison. I believe the [programme] could help the whole prison system to understand their diets, to be healthier for the future.”
~ Course participant
Get in touch – [email protected]
We deliver food and wellbeing courses inside the criminal justice system and out. We’ve worked with inmates and staff, young offenders, substance misusers, young mums and disadvantaged men and women.
FAB! Food and wellbeing
These courses can be run face to face or online with people inside and outside the criminal justice system. Find out more
Feel Good Food Club
This is in-cell, distance learning with a twist and is available across England. Contact [email protected] to find out more.
Our courses include practical toolkits, healthy eating workshops, cooking courses and peer support training. They focus on:
All courses use motivational techniques to gently guide participants towards change. Out in the community we deliver both face to face and online sessions.
Our courses have been evaluated and found to significantly positively influence the food choices of prisoners.
“I found the [programme] very helpful to understand foods that are doing us both good and bad inside the prison. I believe the [programme] could help the whole prison system to understand their diets, to be healthier for the future.”
~ Course participant
Get in touch – [email protected]
We produce a monthly newsletter focussed on mental health and wellbeing. The newsletter gets sent to over 2500 women across all female prisons in England with the aim of supporting physical and mental health. We also have a digital copy that has been adapted for women living out in the community.
“I look forward to the issues of Her Wellbeing, as they are always full of interesting info to help me live a healthy life in prison. It makes me think and change things I do to either be physically healthy and mentally healthy.” Prisoner
Coming Soon! We have piloted a similar His Wellbeing’ aimed at the men’s estate. Contact us if your prison is interested in receiving this.
The newsletter can form an integral part of a prison’s health and wellbeing strategy and can help meet requirements set by HM Inspector of prisons.
Get in touch – [email protected]
This programme supports prisoners’ mental health and wellbeing through food-related in-cell activities. It is for anyone serving a custodial sentence. It is a positive option for the more hard-to-reach individuals who would not normally engage with education services.
The programme is fun, engaging and participatory. It comprises six modules, with a module being sent out once a month. Each module is formed of a 4-page learning leaflet and a 4-page activities leaflet. There are prizes!
Participating prisoners have the chance to be part of the Feel Good Food Club community, by submitting no-cook recipes and food tips, which appear in a special members’ section of our monthly newsletter Her Wellbeing.
The club can form an integral part of a prison’s health and wellbeing strategy and can help meet requirements set by HM Inspector of prisons.