Dignity: Ending Hunger Together in Scotland

Remit and Membership

Remit

The previous Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Communities and Pensioners' Rights, Alex Neil MSP, invited Martin Johnstone, Secretary of the Church of Scotland's Church & Society Council, to chair an independent short life working group on food poverty to consider the issues and make recommendations to the Scottish Government on future actions. The group was asked by the Cabinet Secretary to consider:

• How best to create a dignified and sustained food strategy which supports vulnerable people.
• How best to address the often complex set of issues which lead people into food poverty.
• How a strong partnership approach to eradicating food poverty can be developed and how collective resources and assets can be best aligned.

Membership of the Independent Working Group

Martin Johnstone, Church of Scotland (Chair of the Group)
John Dickie, Child Poverty Action Group
Ewan Gurr, Trussell Trust
Lynn Hendry, STV Appeal
Lesley Hinds, City of Edinburgh Council (Local Authority Representation)
Peter Kelly, Poverty Alliance
Gillian Kynoch, Fareshare
Jamie Livingstone, Oxfam
Lesley MacDonald, The Robertson Trust
Mary Anne Macleod, Poverty Alliance
Tricia McConalogue, Bridging the Gap
Caroline Mockford, Poverty Truth Commission/Food Commission
Pete Ritchie, Nourish
Carolyn Sawers, Big Lottery
Cath Wallace, Poverty Truth Commission
Allan Young, Poverty Truth Commission

'It is choosing between feeding your family or heating your home.'

'It's not eating for days.'

'It is eating stuff that fills you rather than food that is good for you.'

'It is cooking cheap food in the microwave because you can't afford to use the oven.'

Quotes from Poverty Truth Commissioners about experiencing food poverty