Work to promote healthy, sustainable and local food in Leicestershire has been recognised with a prestigious award.
The Leicestershire County Council-run Good Food Leicestershire (GFL), which works to tackle issues from food poverty to diet-related ill-health, has been named a bronze award winner in a competition run by Sustainable Food Places.
GLF’s application highlighted the varied projects and partnerships making a positive difference to the county food system.
These projects included:
- Championing local producers through The EcoVillage, EdibLE16 and Harborough Market
- Community sustainable food garden ‘A Place To Grow’ at Enderby Leisure Centre
- Promoting farm to fork at SMB Group’s Rural Catering Centre and Melton Market
- Your Store in Loughborough, a collaboration between Charnwood Borough Council, Charnwood Food Poverty Group, John Storer House, The Bridge homeless charity, plus local and national businesses
- The Marlene Reid Centre in Coalville with cookery classes, food shop, signposting and links with food distributor Oakland International at Bardon
- The Community Garden at Blaby Road Park in South Wigston
- Hinckley Area Foodbank, which runs nine centres across south west Leicestershire
It’s a great achievement for sustainable food in Leicestershire and we are proud of all the work taking place across the county, involving various partners and stakeholders.
“From farming to foodbanks, cookery classes to community food growing, efforts to reduce food waste, promote healthy eating or support for local producers, there are so many people doing vital work – and this work will also help reduce the cost of living.
Person: Councillor Louise Richardson, the county council’s cabinet member for health and wellbeingGavin Fletcher, GFL co-ordinator, said: “This award identifies the collective work of many volunteers, charities, groups and businesses throughout the seven districts of Leicestershire.
"These projects involve hundreds of people and help many thousands more.
“We hope this bronze award will also encourage others to get involved.
Leon Ballin, Sustainable Food Places’ Programme Manager, said: “Good Food Leicestershire has shown just what can be achieved when creative and committed people work together to make healthy and sustainable food a defining characteristic of where they live.
“While there is still much to do and many challenges to overcome, the Leicestershire partnership has helped to set a benchmark for the other 80 plus members of the UK Sustainable Food Places Network to follow.
“We look forward to working with them over the months and years ahead to transform Leicestershire’s food system for the better.”