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Advice and Resources on how to set up and run your project

for anyone involved in community food and health

Good practice and ideas

Looking for ideas on how to run a community food project? This section has good practice guides, toolkits and ideas for community cooking, community retailers, community catering and community growing projects, and some pointers on buying food supplies.

Pick up some toolkits and ideas

Planning and management

Getting a project off to a good start takes some careful planning, research and networking. This section looks at: meeting local needs; community involvement; making links with policy; aims, objectives and making a plan; organisation and management structures, including social enterprise.

Dip into planning and management

Money and fundraising

This section looks at managing money including budgeting, accounts and banking, and taxes. You also need to raise money for your project, so check out these resources on fundraising strategy, where to go for grants, raising income from trading and supporters, and loans and investors.

Money, money, money…

Know your legal responsibilities

If you handle food, work with volunteers or deal with personal contact information, there are certain duties that you need to carry out by law: food safety and hygiene, health and safety, registration and licensing, trading standards, data protection and insurance.

The bigger, and more complex your initiative or enterprise becomes, the more legislation you need to be aware, for example: employment law and equal opportunities, charity and company law, and contracts.

Make sure you’ve got the law covered

Staff, volunteers and training

Your most important assets are people, so make sure that everyone is treated fairly and trained to play their part as well as they can. This section points to guidance on employing people and managing volunteers, and where to go for disclosure (criminal history) checks and training providers.

Look into people and training

Networking and making links

Arranging to meet useful contacts in your area is the best way to let people know what you do and to find out what local support is available. This section has ideas for where to go to develop your networks: community-led networks, local support structures, local support workers, community projects in your area and a local champion.

Get networking ideas here

Showing you’re making a difference

If you can demonstrate that your community food activity makes a positive difference, you will find it easier to gain support for your work.

Find out about research, evaluation and outcomes

Developing a community-led research project

Materials designed by CFHS to guide and support anyone who is planning a community-led research project. Originally developed as part of a food security/food poverty project.

Explore this dynamic approach to research