News Archive

Making Local Food Work have distributed their most recent survey asking food suppliers about their interest in supplying produce to local shops and retailers. The first areas to be targeted have been Yorkshire and Humber and surveys to other regions will be rolled-out in the next few weeks. The results will be collated to assist Making Local Food Work in connecting local people with locally produced food and to support networks operating within local food supply chains.Making Local Food Work have been assisted by Big Barn in this project. If you are a food supplier in England who would like to...

The Government’s Food 2030 report needs to go a step further by engaging communities in food production and food security according to Making Local Food Work, a partnership of organisations which help communities to take ownership of their food and where it comes from.Peter Couchman, Chief Executive of the Plunkett Foundation which leads the Making Local Food Work partnership said; “While we welcome this as the first major food report in sixty years, we feel that the vision set out in the report does not reflect the change in the relationships that consumers increasingly want to have with the food...

The Enterprise Support project are pleased to announce support for the exciting  'Peoples Supermarket' based in London. Led by charismatic chef and restaurant owner Arthur Potts Dawson, The Peoples Supermarket, currently in planning, aims to change the way we shop and buy food. This is a supermarket that is run by the people, for the people, selling the best food at the lowest possible prices.Based on a tried and tested model from The United States, this community owned supermarket will be staffed largely by volunteer members, who will enjoy discounted shopping in return for a few hours work each month. Enterprise Support consultant...

The Enteprise Support project have produced a financial management training manual for community shop workers. A very comprehensive document that can stand alone as a tutorial or be used in conjunction with an associated training course. The manual can downloaded free from the Social Business Toolbox.If someone from your shop is interested in taking part in a training course, then please get in touch with Nicole Hamilton at Plunkett. nicole.hamilton@plunkett.co.uk Tel 01993 814383.   

Today (16th October) is World Food Day organised by the Food and Agriculture Orgaization of the United Nations (FAO).Below is some information from the FAO website.Achieving Food Security in Times of CrisisAt a time when the global economic crisis dominates the news, the world needs to be reminded that not everyone works in offices and factories. The crisis is stalking the small-scale farms and rural areas of the world, where 70 percent of the world's hungry live and work. With an estimated increase of 105 million hungry people in 2009, there are now 1.02 billion malnourished people in the world, meaning that...

The Walton Lea Project, a social enterprise which has been supported by the Enterprise Support project of Making Local Food Work received a visit from the Secret Millionaire a few weeks ago.  On the programme broadcast today (14th October), the Walton Lea Project received £20,000 from the Secret Millionaire to help develop their work.The Walton Lea Project (WLP) was established in 1998 to provide supported employment, training and life chance for adults with learning difficulties. The project is based near Warrington within the setting of a Victorian walled garden where plants and fruit and vegetables are grown and sold to...

Sustain's Local Action on Food Network and The Women's Environmental Network (WEN) are jointly organising this event for community food groups and individuals from across the country that are facing challenges in obtaining land for sustainable food production. This event will allow attendees to share skills and experience on how, through policy and practice, access to land can be improved across the UK.Sustain are a partner of Making Local Food Work. The day will include:Talks from experts and keynote speaker Rosie Boycott, chair of the London Food Board.Lunch and an exclusive tour of the RISC edible roof gardenAn afternoon programme of issue...

14 October 2009 Farmers’ markets run by social enterprises should be supported due to the potential benefits they provide to communities say a new Government report on traditional retail markets.The report backed the approach taken by Making Local Food Work in helping support the development of social enterprise models of farmers’ markets as a way of providing a vehicle for producers to provide local food to their communities.The Collaborative Farmers’ Market project is part of Making Local Food Work, a programme delivered by seven national organisations which helps people to take ownership of their food and where it comes from.  The...

As part of our work to develop a network of CSAs throughout England under the Making Local Food Work programme, we are running a series of CSA training days over the winter months.  All these events will take place in Leeds or Sheffield, and are free to CSA practitioners (local, organic lunch included!).Although they will be useful as individual training events, I throroughly recommend you attend them all if you are able to. They are being led by experts in the various fields, and are designed to  provide you with the technical knowledge and confidence to launch or expand your...

A new Making Local Food Work report has just been released.   Community Investment in Community Supported Agriculture was produced by community shares expert Jim Brown for the Community Supported Agriculture Strand of Making Local Food Work.The report can be downloaded from Making Local Food Work partner the Soil Association's website.  Follow the link belowhttp://tiny.cc/oaegs