The Community and Voluntary sector plays a crucial role in shaping people’s health and wellbeing; not only through their services, but also by building social connections and engaging with people least likely to use statutory services. The sector’s key role is highlighted in the Population Health Framework . As well as fair funding, the sector can be supported with access to services and training.
In this blog post, Mandy Cliff, who is a Dietetic Assistant Practitioner with NHS Ayrshire and Arran’s Dietetic Health Improvement Team, explains how her passion for good food and drive to support others to eat well has helped her reach many communities. Mandy is a qualified chef to trade; she has championed community food work over her 20 years within the NHS.
About the Dietetic Health Improvement Team
Our team works collaboratively with individuals, services, and agencies from the NHS, local authorities, and third sector organisations. We aim to ensure that colleagues, staff, volunteers and communities are equipped with evidence-based knowledge, practical skills and resources to eat well within the current economic climate and improve and maintain good health and wellbeing.
We use a community development approach to address the diet and nutrition issues that matter most to local people. A large part of our work is to support families and young children to enable them to get the best start in life.
Tailored training
We offer flexible training for staff and volunteers, which includes:
- Eating Well for Older People
- Cooking group skills across the lifespan
These sessions are designed to be relevant, engaging, and adaptable to the needs of different groups.
Reaching communities and building capacity
Working in collaboration and building partnerships and working relationships are fundamental to how our team contributes to food issues in our communities. The team participates in a range of local forums, planning groups and the emerging Good Food Nation implementation groups.
A large part of my role is focused on working in partnership with community organisations and groups, so they can support people using their services to eat well. Over my years of experience, I’ve forged partnerships with a diverse range of organisations and have been an advocate for the role food and nutrition can play in positively impacting on people’s health and well-being. My role is not just about developing delivering training to groups, it is much more. I actively coach and mentor individuals to be able to support their service users with practical cooking skills as well as building their knowledge and confidence. Through networking, being able to signpost and link up community groups on many aspects of food is key to making the most of our resources within communities.
When working with groups or even attending meetings, I always strive to make connections with people I work with whether that is with a group or attending meetings. Being able to showcase our team’s healthy recipes is a great way to break down barriers and hopefully make healthier eating easier – I’ve been known on occasion to make some home cooked scones to share!
I reach smaller community groups via the Third Sector Interfaces. We try to make sure that our training will help staff and volunteers to pass on health messages in a relevant, informal and fun way with confidence.
As supporting health goes beyond food, I can deliver Health Issues in the Community training. It helps people understand the bigger picture around health and aims to give them the confidence and tools to make change happen at home or in their communities.
Recent highlights
- Supporting a community chef within a recovery service to integrate nutrition messages into practical cooking sessions as a tool for social connection and to contribute to better mental health.
- Contributing to a recipe book with simple, healthy ideas with a local community food growing project.
- Coaching and mentoring two community groups with practical support.
Addressing and mitigating poverty
The team links with agencies and community groups that are aiming to address poverty and signposts communities to relevant income maximisation support, such as to the Best Start Food and Grants scheme. However, to support people’s immediate or crisis needs, I’ve also worked with community food providers, such as larders, reliant on donated and surplus foods, to support them to ensure that food aid will meet a range of nutritional needs, by for example, advising them on putting together ‘Simple meal ideas’ packs. The team have also put together the ‘Can Cook’ pack, which provides recipes that use minimal equipment and just three or four ingredients – these are based on items often available at food aid providers.
Dealing with challenges
Despite being at full capacity, the number of groups I provide training to has reduced over the last five years. After the Covid pandemic it is more challenging to engage with community groups – many have less capacity and funding than they had in the past, making it harder for them to consider putting on and maintaining food activities. I provide funding information when its available and the team is involved in partnership meetings to raise their own awareness of funding opportunities.
Showing what difference is being made
The team has developed evaluation tools to help communities measure their own work. I encourage groups to use pre- and post-questionnaires and informal follow-ups to find out what difference their activities have made. I usually follow up a group that I have supported to find out what’s worked and can provide further help, including with their evaluation if they need it.
Looking ahead
With policies such as Good Food Nation and Community Wealth Building coming along soon, the team are planning to make the most of new opportunities. Upcoming projects include:
- A food waste reduction initiative using a converted bin lorry as a mobile classroom.
- Support for community growing groups, offering demos and recipes to help turn harvested produce into meals.
- Building on cooking demo videos for our social media platforms.
- Getting involved in local Good Food Nation plans and food strategies.
For more information about the team
Information about our team’s training is available here.
Our resources are available here.
You can also find us on Facebook and YouTube
Contact
Mandy Cliff, NutritionTrainingDietetics@aapct.scot.nhs.uk
Making good food accessible, enjoyable and relevant to communities
The Community and Voluntary sector plays a crucial role in shaping people’s health and wellbeing; not only through their services, but also by building social connections and engaging with people least likely to use statutory services. The sector’s key role is highlighted in the Population Health Framework . As well as fair funding, the sector can be supported with access to services and training.
In this blog post, Mandy Cliff, who is a Dietetic Assistant Practitioner with NHS Ayrshire and Arran’s Dietetic Health Improvement Team, explains how her passion for good food and drive to support others to eat well has helped her reach many communities. Mandy is a qualified chef to trade; she has championed community food work over her 20 years within the NHS.
About the Dietetic Health Improvement Team
Our team works collaboratively with individuals, services, and agencies from the NHS, local authorities, and third sector organisations. We aim to ensure that colleagues, staff, volunteers and communities are equipped with evidence-based knowledge, practical skills and resources to eat well within the current economic climate and improve and maintain good health and wellbeing.
We use a community development approach to address the diet and nutrition issues that matter most to local people. A large part of our work is to support families and young children to enable them to get the best start in life.
Tailored training
We offer flexible training for staff and volunteers, which includes:
These sessions are designed to be relevant, engaging, and adaptable to the needs of different groups.
Reaching communities and building capacity
Working in collaboration and building partnerships and working relationships are fundamental to how our team contributes to food issues in our communities. The team participates in a range of local forums, planning groups and the emerging Good Food Nation implementation groups.
A large part of my role is focused on working in partnership with community organisations and groups, so they can support people using their services to eat well. Over my years of experience, I’ve forged partnerships with a diverse range of organisations and have been an advocate for the role food and nutrition can play in positively impacting on people’s health and well-being. My role is not just about developing delivering training to groups, it is much more. I actively coach and mentor individuals to be able to support their service users with practical cooking skills as well as building their knowledge and confidence. Through networking, being able to signpost and link up community groups on many aspects of food is key to making the most of our resources within communities.
When working with groups or even attending meetings, I always strive to make connections with people I work with whether that is with a group or attending meetings. Being able to showcase our team’s healthy recipes is a great way to break down barriers and hopefully make healthier eating easier – I’ve been known on occasion to make some home cooked scones to share!
I reach smaller community groups via the Third Sector Interfaces. We try to make sure that our training will help staff and volunteers to pass on health messages in a relevant, informal and fun way with confidence.
As supporting health goes beyond food, I can deliver Health Issues in the Community training. It helps people understand the bigger picture around health and aims to give them the confidence and tools to make change happen at home or in their communities.
Recent highlights
Addressing and mitigating poverty
The team links with agencies and community groups that are aiming to address poverty and signposts communities to relevant income maximisation support, such as to the Best Start Food and Grants scheme. However, to support people’s immediate or crisis needs, I’ve also worked with community food providers, such as larders, reliant on donated and surplus foods, to support them to ensure that food aid will meet a range of nutritional needs, by for example, advising them on putting together ‘Simple meal ideas’ packs. The team have also put together the ‘Can Cook’ pack, which provides recipes that use minimal equipment and just three or four ingredients – these are based on items often available at food aid providers.
Dealing with challenges
Despite being at full capacity, the number of groups I provide training to has reduced over the last five years. After the Covid pandemic it is more challenging to engage with community groups – many have less capacity and funding than they had in the past, making it harder for them to consider putting on and maintaining food activities. I provide funding information when its available and the team is involved in partnership meetings to raise their own awareness of funding opportunities.
Showing what difference is being made
The team has developed evaluation tools to help communities measure their own work. I encourage groups to use pre- and post-questionnaires and informal follow-ups to find out what difference their activities have made. I usually follow up a group that I have supported to find out what’s worked and can provide further help, including with their evaluation if they need it.
Looking ahead
With policies such as Good Food Nation and Community Wealth Building coming along soon, the team are planning to make the most of new opportunities. Upcoming projects include:
For more information about the team
Information about our team’s training is available here.
Our resources are available here.
You can also find us on Facebook and YouTube
Contact
Mandy Cliff, NutritionTrainingDietetics@aapct.scot.nhs.uk