Agenda item

To receive an annual update on the work of the Shropshire Good Food Partnership.

The Committee received an update from the Co-Director of the Shropshire Good Food Partnership.

The presentation set out the work of the Partnership over the last 12 months, which highlighted an increase in engagement from partner organisations and the local community. The Partnership had remained project-funded and had continued to seek core financial support.

The Partnership had expanded into the Marches Food Network, engaging stakeholders at multiple levels and embedding resilience planning into their strategies, focusing on infrastructure, market access, branding and support from producers. The Partnership had been supported by initiatives such as Food Loops Planning and funding bids to the UK Lottery. These efforts had been aimed at driving system change, supporting cooperative development and localising food networks.

The Partnership had strengthened multi-level stakeholder engagement, working with farmers, local councils, training centres and national networks. It had supported farmer clusters, delivering grassroots training and hosting webinars, talks and field sessions. The Partnership had also contributed to national Sustainable Food Places (SFP) working groups and this collaborative approach had helped fostered strong relationships with partners and communities across the region.

A major focus for the Partnership had been placed on schools, with a £100,000 project launched to support food education and sustainability. The Partnership had at the time of the meeting engaged with 20 primary schools and 10 partner organisations through the School Food Web project. Activities had included food audits, tailored sustainability roadmaps, CPD events and Citizen Science Projects which had helped to empower pupils to explore the nutritional value of food and its environmental impact. Ten schools had participated in nutritional monitoring, comparing supermarket produce with freshly grown alternatives. Hollinswood Primary School had taken part in a pilot for surplus food initiatives which included cookery clubs and partnerships with local food hubs. Composting efforts had been scaled up, with 16 schools receiving grants and hot bin composters to become food-waste free. Members heard that the Smoothie Bike initiative alone had saved 250kg of frozen fruit waste and six schools had also joined the Let’s Go Zero programme, committing to achieve net zero by 2030.

The Partnership had continued to actively engage the public through storytelling, newsletters, blogs, press, and events. The Good Food Movement continued to grow, with over 350 members and partners. Seasonal learning circles and webinars had provided platforms for dialogue on food quality, sustainability and local food systems. These efforts had helped raise the visibility of the Partnership’s work both locally and nationally, with other regions reaching out to learn from their approach.

In response to questions raised during the meeting, the Co-Director advised that the Partnership were exploring a new petition to Government to request farming to be formally included in the national curriculum. One of the key challenges for the Partnership had been around supporting teaching staff with the resources and time they need to embed food education into lesson plans.

The Cabinet Member: Neighbourhoods, Planning & Sustainability stated that there had been a noticeable increase in demand for allotment spaces across the Borough and in response to this, a number of new allotment sites had been established, particularly within more recent housing developments. The Council had also worked to ensure that allotments were included in planning policies, helping to embed access to growing spaces as a standard part of community infrastructure moving forward.

The Co-Director commented that the Partnership had worked with a wide range of schools, including the Grove School, where an after-school club had been arranged for SEND students which focused on using surplus food and community kitchens. The aim of the activity was to creates a hands-on, inclusive environment that supports both practical skills and confidence-building for children.

The Co-Director confirmed that the Partnership had worked with a mix of schools across Shropshire. Whilst there had been high levels of engagement at primary level, the Partnership had faced challenges with secondary schools. At the time of the meeting, the Partnership had piloted a canteen-style initiative using school kitchen spaces as community kitchens. Pupils had been actively involved in planning and delivering events, which catered for 67 family members using surplus food.