Current work

Please contact us if you would like more information on any of these areas of work.

Expressions of Interest sought: What is the impact of the CFHS small grants scheme?


CFHS is seeking expressions of interest for a research project to establish the impact of our annual small grants scheme beyond the evaluation of the funded activities.

Please see the background information(PDF 74 kb) for full details of this evaluation project. If you are interested, please complete and return the EOI template (PDF 20 kb) by midday on Friday 5 March 2010.

 

Development of a Healthy Weight Outcomes Framework - a contribution from community food initiatives

Across Scotland community food intiatives are achieving positive outcomes that are making a difference for individuals and families. It is crucial that we capture this understanding and experience of what makes a difference for communities and share it as widely as possible.

NHS Health Scotland has been working with partners to develop a 'healthy weight outcomes framework'. This framework will help partners, from a range of different sectors, to plan, monitor and evaluate health improvement activities related to healthy weight by linking their outcomes with desired longer term changes for the health of people across Scotland.

Community Food and Health (Scotland) and NHS Health Scotland are collaborating to host an event that provides an exciting opportunity for community food initiatives to contribute to the development of this outcomes framework. The event will be held on Wednesday 17 March at the Scottish Book Trust in Edinburgh.

If you are interested in attending this event, please complete the booking form (PDF 94 kb)  and return it to CFHS by Friday 5 March. Please return completed booking forms by post or email to Katrina.

For more details of the venue, please visit www.scottishbooktrust.com

 

Training opportunities - community-based mental health organisations

Community Food and Health (Scotland) has funds available to support community-based mental health organisations provide training to their staff and volunteers in food, nutrition and health.
Access to a balanced, healthy diet is as important to good mental health as it is to good physical health. Experience from community groups working in the field also suggests that food is a great way to develop new skills, and build confidence, a sense of belonging, and wider social networks. 

Constituted organisations can apply for the funding for the following courses:-

REHIS Elementary Food and Health Course (max 10 per organisation) 
RSPH Certificate in Nutrition and Health level 3  (max 1 per organisation)

Organisations can also apply for funds to pay the costs for staff, who meet the eligibility criteria, to register with REHIS as an Elementary Food and Health tutor.

Social enterprise learning and development opportunities

Community cafe work
With the Edinburgh Food and Heatlh Training Hub, we are running a pilot programme for community cafes in Edinburgh. The pilot will provide people joining the programme with a chance to take part in courses on a range of topics. Fifteen places are available on all the training course. The programme will be beginning late March.

For more details about the programme and how to apply, contact Anne.

Social Enterprise Academy learning and development day
In partnership with CFHS, the Social Enterprise Academy is running a learning and development day on Wednesday 10 March for community food and health organisations wanting to find out more about measuring impact., one of the vital ingredients for successful social enterprises. The programme for the two days is designed to provide participants with an introduction to two vital ingredients for successful social enterprises: business planning and strategy, and measuring your impact.  A few places are available.

For more information and details of how to apply, please contact Anne.

Community food sector as a key contributor to health

In 2007 the Scottish Government launched its National Performance Framework, which includes one overarching purpose, strategic objectives, 15 national outcomes and 45 national indicators. This outcomes-focused approach details the national outcomes that the Scottish Government believes need to be achieved in order to make Scotland wealthier and fairer, safer and stronger, smarter, greener and healthier. The national outcomes also directly inform Single Outcome Agreements.

Considering this framework, CFHS has been exploring the national outcomes and how to highlight the contribution community food initiatives are making to the desired changes for Scotland. In order to ensure that the contribution made by community food initiatives is recognised we want to demonstrate how it is made and what it looks like in practice.

The link below will take you to a template which we recently included within our 50th edition of Fare Choice, asking community food initiatives to complete and return to us. .

We will be collating everybody’s responses to create a picture of the sector's work and to showcase examples of how community food initiatives are making a key contribution across Scotland.

Contribution to national outcomes template (PDF 102 kb)

For more information, please contact Katrina.

Single Outcome Agreements

Single Outcome Agreements (SOAs) are now the key way that Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs) identify their priorities for local communities, in line with national outcomes identified by the Scottish Government. Earlier in June the second round of SOAs were agreed between the Scottish Government and CPPs, which set out the outcomes CPPs are aiming to achieve for local communities. In order to measure change within local communities and progress towards achieving local and national outcomes, SOAs include a wide range of different indicators, selected at a local level.

As part of the continual development of SOAs, CFHS, along with CHEX and VHS, have been invited to comment on the menu of indicators, from which CPPs can select the most relevant (or they can develop their own). The aim of this work is to continue to develop indicators that are meaningful at a local level and across Scotland. CFHS is using this opportunity to highlight the contribution made by community and voluntary organisations and hope to influence the indicators to incorporate this.

We have heard about one or two examples of people linking the outcomes they achieve to those within their local SOAs. If you have been involved in any work like this we would be really keen to hear from you and to hear about how you got on. Please contact Katrina.

Annual networking event

This year's conference, Going Forth,  was held at the Carnegie Conference Centre, Dunfermline on Thursday 22 October. 

This year’s event maintained a strong focus on community initiatives that are developing and sustaining food and health activities that address food access and health inequalities. As always the conference was very well-supported and attended. Throughout the day there were great opportunities to hear, learn and share about experiences, policy and practice from a broad range of speakers and workshops covering all topics in relation to community food and health activities. A short report from ‘Going Forth’ will be published in due course. In the meantime please follow the links to download the presentations from the plenary speakers.

Moving Forward with Food and Health Policy (PDF 563 kb)    Peter Faassen de Heer, Scottish Government

Measuring for the Future (PDF 1204 kb)    Michael Craig and Emma Halliday, NHS Health Scotland

Communities Rolling Forward I (PDF 980 kb)   Michelle McCrindle,  the Food Train

Communities Rolling Forward II (PDF 1415 kb)     Iain Stewart, Edinburgh Community Food Initiative

Healthier food pilots

Three organisations have now received funding under the healthier food pilots.

Fife Arabic Society will be running a programme of healthy eating and cooking on a budget for groups from all sections of the community across Fife. Classes will focus on preparing nutritious, healthy meals using locally sourced produce from African, Asian, Middle Eastern and Scottish recipes. At the end of the programme a healthy eating event will be held for the community to sample the food that participants have learned to prepare.

Cranhill Community Project will use its funding to consult with local black and minority ethnic communities in Cranhill to inform the redevelopment of its community cafe. This will involve setting up taster sessions, making recommendations for new items on the menu, expanding volunteering opportunities and launching as an international cafe.

Community Organisation for Racial Equality (formerly BCDP) is setting up an accredited 18 hour healthy cooking skills course for volunteers from its World Cafe initiative. Volunteers have already undertaken some training and are looking to increase their skills. This will impact not only on their own health, but on that of their families and of the wider community who use the World Cafe.

One further organisation is currently working with us on the detail of their application.

Food and health activities among black and minority ethic communities in Scotland

CFHS has contracted REACH Community Health Project to undertake a mapping exercise in relation to research, projects and resources currently supporting food and health work in black and minority ethnic communities in Scotland. The work, due to be completed early in 2010 will provide an important underpinning to our future work in this area.

Researchers are currently building an up-to-date picture of what groups and organisations are working in this area, the kind of work they are involved in and where they currently get support.  They are also looking at what groups and organisations feel they need in future to support the development and sustainability of their community food work.

To make sure that your group/organisation is included in the study, contact REACH on 0141 585 8024 or email researchstaff@reachhealth.org.uk

Information from this study on existing work and resources, together with material generated by the pilot projects. will provide some good practice material to be shared across community food initiatives. For more information on the study and to make sure that your work is included, contact Sue.

Economic Evaluation

In response to identified need, Community Food and Health (Scotland) is currently supporting two economic evaluations of community food and health projects. 

  • the Edinburgh Community Food Initiative (ECFI) Happy Jack Project, funded by the Sure Start Programme through the City of Edinburgh Council, and
  • the Food Train in Dumfries and Galloway.

Evaluation Support Scotland Learning Account

CFHS is working with Evaluation Support Scotland (ESS), a Scottish Charity funded by the Scottish Government and the Big Lottery Fund, to assist people working within community food and health initiatives to access their full range of basic training on evaluation. A CFHS Learning Account has been set up to enable up to 12 projects access the ESS Core Course Programme (subject to conditions). Ten of these projects have completed the programme, with two completing in the new year.

CFHS will be following their progress in the new year and plan to develop some case studies for sharing good practice in early spring.

Youth funding package

In addtion to our annual small grants scheme, this year we also offered a one-off  youth funding package. The CFHS youth funding package provides money to develop two parts of food and health activities. The first part was for groups to complete the REHIS Elementary Food and Health course (see below for more information on this course) and the second part was for developing healthy eating activities. Groups and agencies working with young people (12-25 years) from low-income communities were invited to apply for this funding.  In May we awarded funding to 24 groups working with young people out of 49 applications. Successful appllicants came from across Scotland and include work with young people in supported accommodation, and young carers, as well as a range of youth clubs. We will be reporting on these groups' activities in early 2010.

Small Grant Scheme

We distribute a total of £100,000 each year through our small grants scheme. Groups and agencies can apply for between £500 and a new higher limit of £4000 to develop healthy eating activities with or within low-income groups based in Scotland.

The small grants scheme for 2010 will open on 29 April and close on Friday 9 July. See our funding section for more details.

Food, Health and Homelessness in Scotland – Mapping Practice, Progress and Impact

Members of CFHS Food, Health and Homelessness reference group met recently to look at this piece of research that has been completed by Blake Stevenson. The research was commissioned by CFHS late last year to look at where food and food work fits with Local Authority and Health Board strategies on homelessness. It also compares the situation in 2008 with that of 2006.

The major conclusion is that while there is a wealth of activity happening on the ground, this is often not reflected in strategic documents and all too often seems to fall between Local Authority and Health Board areas of responsibility.

The report also contains four detailed case studies of work in different parts of the country. 

The report and appendices can be downloaded below.

A publication based on the findings from the research, 'The Missing Ingredients', was launched at a related event on 25 June at the Scottish Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh. This free half-day event, co-hosted by CFHS and Edinburgh Cyrenians, providef an opportunity for those responsible for developing strategy to engage in dialogue with those who carry out food and health work with people affected by homelessness across Scotland and those who benefit directly from this work.

A brief summary (PDF 54 kb)  of the morning is now available as well as the presentation (PDF 338 kb) from Blake Stevenson.

Food, accessibility and older people

As part of our commitment to support the national development of the Food Train, CFHS is funding an initial study into the viability of a Food Train in Moray.

The work is being carried out by Community First (Moray) and will provide a model research design and tools for use by other areas interested in developing a Food Train service in their area. The study is due for completion at the end of January 2010.

Roundtable discussion, Focus on Food services for older people in the community
This discussion, planned for early in the new year, will be jointly hosted by CFHS and Consumer Focus Scotland to inform future work by both organisations.

Key areas to be looked at will be the issues older people face in accessing affordable, heatlhy food, the range of current provision across Scotland, the specific contribution that community food initiatives can make to ensuring that older people have access to an affordable, healthy diet and future areas for research and innovation.

If you have any information, experiences, or ideas that you would want to feed into this discussion, please contact Sue.


Early years self-evaluation collaborative

Working in partnership with Evaluation Support Scotland (ESS), CFHS has supported six community food and health projects working with parents and children (0-5), the 'Early Years Self-evaluation Collaborative', to learn how to self-evaluate their work; provide evidence towards informing health improvement priorities; and promote dialogue between practitioners, funders and policy makers about the role of small projects and self-evaluations.

Six diverse projects were recruited to take part and these are - The Food Dragons, DrumchapelLIFE Healthy Living Centre; Parent and Toddler Group, the Hidden Gardens; Confidence to Cook Group, Peterhead Family Centre; Blend for Baby, Burnfoot Community School; Fair Isle Breakfast Club, Fife Community Food Project; and Little Leithers, Edinburgh Community Food Initiative.

This programme of support has been delivered over three stages and is now complete.

Two reports on the work of the collaborative are available. The Stage One report (PDF 479 kb) outlines: why and how the Early Years Self-evaluation Collaborative was set up and details of the projects involved; a summary of the evaluation process and methods used, with a set of six case studies; some top tips highlight the range of approaches used by the participating projects; and how applying evaluation processes to their work will help them provide evidence to demonstrate their effectiveness.

The Stage Two report (PDF 1793 kb) is now available to download and outlines: how the Early Years Self-evaluation Collaborative has continued to embed evaluation systems into its work with parents and children; and individual evaluation reports describe how the projects are demonstrating the impact of their work.
A final report will be launched in the spring and will report on reflections from the collaborative and findings from a learning exchange between the collaborative, funders and policy makers.

Social enterprise

We have published Minding Their Own Business Too (PDF 605 kb)   , which contains examples of community food initiatives that have become more enterprising. This publication complements Minding Their Own Business (PDF 3079kb): an introduction to social enterprise, which was produced in 2006.

REHIS food and health course

Up until 2006, we worked with the Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland (REHIS) and other partners to develop a basic 6-hour nutrition course - the ‘Elementary Food and Health’ course.
Since the Elementary Food and Health course was launched nationally in 2006, CFHS has delivered a targeted programme to promote it in low-income and excluded communities. This has included: low-income communities; organisations working with people affected by homelessness, the learning disability support sector and in the youth sector. A leaflet (PDF 2313 kb) a summary of this work. Our publication Food, training and learning disability (PDF 1011 kb) reports on this work in the learning disability support sector.

Work in retailing

CFHS is working with the Scottish Grocers Federation (SGF) and community food networks to roll out the SGF 'Healthy Living' programme to community food co-ops and community food outlets. More details about how to access the programme's training and resources will be available soon. 

An evaluation (PDF 3376 kb) of the pilot of this work looked at how useful the training and resources were to community food outlets.    

In 2007, CFHS commissioned a scoping study (PDF 1130kb) into the potential for collective action by the community and voluntary sectors in east/central Scotland to tackle food access through improvements in the supply chain infrastructure. 

CFHS also commissioned a similar scoping study for the Glasgow area in 2009.  A copy of this report (PDF 807 kb) is also available.

CFHS is also on the board of the Community Retailing Network, which represents a number of community-owned shops in some of Scotland’s remotest communities.

Community-based food and health activity online searchable directory

Our previous directory (hard copy publication) was very well used in the past by other groups wanting to link up with others as well as other agencies wanting to target specific groups and areas across Scotland. Already our new online directory is being used similarly. So far we have had a very positive response from community food and health initiatives wanting to be included. However, we know there are many more of you out there and we are really keen to hear from you. You can fill out your details on an application form (PDF 138 kb) and we will add you to the directory.

Fare Choice

Our newsletter is produced and mailed out on a quarterly basis. Fare Choice is another resource that we use to support community based food and health activity. Individuals, groups and agencies use the publication to talk and share news, views and experiences on policy and practice. We have recently expanded the newsletter and have additional space for projects to highlight their activities. We are keen to include as much activity as possible and can provide support to anyone wishing to draw up an article for inclusion. The next edition will be available mid March.