The Access to Food Partnership is made up of BCP Council, Public Health Dorset, Faithworks, Community Action Network and other members of the Community & Voluntary Sector. It was formed in Spring 2020 in response to the Covid-19 Pandemic and their mission is for “a Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole where everyone is able to feed themselves and their family nutritious food, all of the time.”

Highlights so far

• More than 150 Partners have joined including grassroots community groups, the community and voluntary sector, schools, businesses, housing associations, NHS and other statutory organisations
• Over £100,000 has been distributed specifically so far through the Access to Food partnership to build capacity and extend services offered by local community food projects, such as cooking support and access to equipment, community stores and food boxes that are culturally sensitive
• WhatsApp Group was created to quickly distribute food donations from businesses (closed due to lockdown) and to move surplus donations to those who need it
• BCP Community Food Map of community food settings across the conurbation, including foodbanks, pantries and social supermarkets, community fridges, Covid food support parcels, hot meal deliveries and cooking workshops
• Online Food Home Deliveries directory – created for those who were struggling to get to the shops during lockdown, and struggling to access online delivery slots
• Clinically Extremely Vulnerable residents – In the second lockdown, the Access to Food Partnership worked with Together We Can team to manage the local authority responsibility to deliver food parcels to CEV residents
• Emergency Food support for Together We Can helpline – creation of food hub models to provide immediate emergency support when other community food projects were closed, such as at certain times over the Christmas and Easter holidays

The Access to Food Partnership has recently been awarded Lottery Funding to run for three more years and has many more plans to help local residents.

• To join the Partnership please read the Access to Food Partnership Charter
• You can sign the Charter online
• or you can email a signed copy to Community Food Coordinator, daisy.carr@bcpcouncil.gov.uk

Listen here to Avril from CAN and Daisy from the Access to Food Partnership who spoke about the project with Dan and Ian at Hope FM.