In 2021, the Shropshire Food Poverty Alliance formed part of a project team with Shropshire Council – Public Health, Healthwatch Shropshire and Citizens Advice Shropshire to research food insecurity in South West Shropshire. 

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Over the course of the research the team focused on South West Shropshire, working alongside communities to better understand the reasons causing food insecurity and the impact it has on people’s lives. The findings informed the final application to the Local Government Association in May 2021 for £300,000 funding over the next 3 years. The work has enabled the project team to meaningfully co-produce and deliver sustainable action to address food insecurity with our rural communities across the whole of Shropshire. The work took a whole-system approach, recognising the complex nature of food insecurity and the multiple strands of action needed to combat it. 

 

The project was the result of a successful bid to the ‘Shaping Places for Healthier Lives’ grant funding from the Local Government Association (LGA) supported by Health Foundation. ‘Shaping Places’ focuses on reducing health inequalities by addressing a complex problem. In our case, this is food insecurity. 

 

The Shaping Places Shropshire team was a partnership between Shropshire Council, Citizens Advice Shropshire, and Shropshire Food Poverty Alliance.  The project’s health focus was to tackle food insecurity in the southwest of Shropshire.  Over the 3 years, the team has explored various activities that reduce stigma, encourage residents to come forward for support, and highlight the challenges faced when navigating the system.  A key emphasis has been placed on addressing the underlying causes of food insecurity, such as insufficient income, and how solutions can be explored through communities and organisations working together to address this issue.

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As part of the Shaping Places work they have developed the Ask, Assist, Act toolkit for frontline organisations. Find out more here. 

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