Making Scotland a 'Good Food Nation'
£250,000 for community schemes to promote healthy food initiatives.
Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing today announced the first ever recipients of the Scottish Government’s Good Food Nation funding.
The £250,000 fund will be shared across 14 projects which aim to improve Scotland’s food culture. Schemes supported include community food growing, cafés, community and school food education, training and cooking skills and farm visits. Good Food Nation is Scotland’s National Food and Drink Policy, part of which addresses the challenges facing Scotland’s food culture, advocating the importance of good food to public health and wellbeing, environment and quality of life.
Speaking at the Scottish Grocers Federation Conference in Edinburgh today, Mr Ewing said: “Scotland’s Food and Drink industry has an international reputation which is based on the quality of our produce. “Through Good Food Nation we are attempting to create a movement across civic Scotland that recognises how access to good quality, healthy food can support our wider efforts to reverse the trends around diet, obesity and health-related problems and reduce food waste.
“I’m delighted that today we are able to announce 14 successful applications for Good Food Nation funding. These projects range from education initiatives, farm visits, and community cookery classes and demonstrations. I’m sure they will be successful and I wish them well in their endeavours."
Shirley Spears, Chair of the Scottish Government’s Food Commission, said: “Good Food Nation is a fantastic opportunity for community-led projects to address some of the issues we see around food culture in Scotland.
“It is pleasing to see so many local projects get the opportunity to develop. I am sure this funding will be a powerful way to reach out to the public more about the importance of good quality food and work towards building a more sustainable and healthier future, helping to grow the Good Food Nation conversation across Scotland.”
In addition to the Good Food Nation funding, Mr Ewing also announced a doubling of funding to implement the Scottish Grocers Federation’s Healthcare Retail Standard, part of the Scottish Government’s health promotion framework for healthcare buildings. The programme aims to ensure that retail outlets operating within NHS settings offer healthier options for patients, staff and visitors. This increased funding will ensure that from April next year, at least 50% of their offer is made up of healthier options.
Good Food Nation projects:
| Organisation |
Organisation type |
Project Description |
Delivery location |
| Urban Roots |
Charity |
Community meals, training and support programme |
|
| Falkirk Community Trust |
Charity |
Creation of community growing space plus training |
Falkirk |
| Community Food Initiatives North East |
Charity/company |
To develop a cook and community training kitchen, provide cooking classes and local information dissemination |
Aberdeen |
| South Ayrshire Council |
Public sector |
Community learning programme for children and families (cooking, demos, meals, farm and retail visits) and health snacks for afterschool club |
South Ayrshire |
| Flourish House |
Charity/company |
Community café and allotment participation, tasting sessions, food events, information ‘ingredients parcels’ |
Glasgow |
| Coulhill Primary School |
Public sector |
Cooking skills for pupils and parents including budgeting, sourcing and preparation, via parent workshops and after school clubs |
Highland Council area |
| East Dunbartonshire Council |
Public sector |
Family café and food learning programme/ experiences, family hampers |
Colquhon East Dunbartonshire |
| Tron St Marys Parish Church |
Charity |
Cooking workshops and growing for families, including meal planning & reducing food waste |
Glasgow |
| Westray Development Trust |
Charity |
Develop supply of locally grown fruit and veg on island, to supply shop, school and care home. Greenhouse system and outreach programme. |
Orkney |
| Royal Highland Education Trust |
Charity |
Programme of farm visits, talks and activities to schools |
Scotland wide |
| Beechbrae community garden |
Company |
Cooking and growing skills for pupils |
Blackridge, West Lothian |
| Crops in Pots |
Charity |
Market garden for organic food and intergenerational training and education facility |
Edinburgh |
| Edinburgh Community Food Ltd |
Charity/company |
Developing affordable food packs from local farms/producers for sale via community partners and Coops. Supported by Food and nutrition programme. |
Edinburgh |
| Abundant Borders |
Charity status applied for |
Create local food production network via small scale forest gardening, training, skills and learning and cooking programme |
Eyemouth |
Notes to Editors.
• The Scottish Grocers Federation Healthcare Retail Standard (HRS) has been developed in partnership with Food Standards Scotland, NHS Health Scotland, NHS National Services Scotland and the Scottish Grocers Federation who are responsible for assessing outlets to ensure they comply.
• The HRS is broadly equivalent to the Healthyliving Award which already operates across all public sector NHS sites. HRS criteria require that half of all food and 70% of all drinks must be healthier. The HRS applies to all trolley services as well as retail outlets.
• NHS Boards and retailers have until 31 March 2017 or at the point of contract renegotiation to implement the HRS.
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