Scotland has a strong history of community food initiatives, from lunch clubs and food co-ops to youth cafés and gardening projects, all working to improve health and wellbeing in low-income areas and to address the needs of different groups of people.
‘Get Cooking, Get Shopping’ courses focus on basic nutrition, food safety, cooking methods and recipes for people in the south of Glasgow. This case study looks at how they identify participants who may be struggling to have enough food, both before and during the courses.
Read ‘Get Cooking, Get Shopping – reaching people experiencing food insecurity’ here
This case study focuses on Edinburgh Community Food’s course with women who are in the criminal justice system and explores making recipe adaptations for participants who may be facing significant barriers to having a healthy balanced diet.
Read ‘Edinburgh Community Food – cooking with women in the criminal justice system’ here
Edinburgh Cyrenians Good Food tutor ran a session on public health issues with the first-year nursing students at Queen Margaret University. Students also learned about the role the Cyrenians and other third sector organisations play in improving people’s health in the community.
Read ‘Cyrenians Good Food tutor goes to Queen Margaret University’ here
Sadly Tullibody Healthy Living (THL) closed its doors in 2018, although the community garden project remains open. THL was a community-led health project where tackling health inequalities was at the heart of what it did. Set up in 2003, it was based in a small ex-mining community in Clackmannanshire.
Read ‘Tullibody Healthy Living – community engagement at its heart’ here
‘A Healthier Me’ aims to make sure that adults with learning disabilities using the Borders support services are supported to get the help they need to eat well and have a healthy lifestyle. The service uses a pathway or toolkit and identifies a key lead member of staff to implement it.
Read ‘‘A Healthier Me’ for adults with learning disabilities’ here
Sadly East Dunbartonshire Food Co-ops have now closed. The food co-ops in Hillhead and Lennoxtown offered access to good quality, low-cost, fresh fruit and vegetables and to volunteering opportunities, where people can develop new skills and get involved in their community.
Read ‘East Dunbartonshire Food Co-ops – good quality, low-cost, fresh food’ here
Perth and Kinross Healthy Communities Collaborative works with older people from specific communities, and empowers them to improve health and quality of life for themselves and their peers. Their work in Birnam and Dunkeld has developed around a focus on eating well and a healthy diet.
Read ‘Perth and Kinross Healthy Communities – older people living well’ here
‘For nobody to go hungry during a time of crisis in the Kirkcaldy area and for everybody to share what they can’ is the foodbank’s mission. It provides emergency food for people in need and support them to find longer-term solutions.
Read ‘Kirkcaldy Foodbank – emergency food and support’ hereSadly North Lanarkshire Food Aid closed because of a lack of funding. It supported people facing hardship and extreme food poverty. It used a range of co-ordinated interventions designed to deliver a more holistic and longer-term approach than food banks have historically been able to offer.
Read ‘North Lanarkshire Food Aid – a more holistic approach’ here
This project which has now closed ran in disadvantaged areas of Angus, focusing on food and health, particularly for women of childbearing age, pregnant women and the under-fives. It had Healthy Start cafés and community gardening and cooking projects.
Read ‘Healthy Happy Communities – food projects for young families’ here
This case study is kept here for historical record. The project was a centre for frail older people from the minority ethnic community where their cultural and religious needs are recognised. The lunch club provided the opportunity for members to enjoy a healthy meal in the company of friends.
Read ‘The Dixon Community – minority ethnic lunch club for older people’ here
Part of the community-led Claddach Kirkibost Centre on the west coast of North Uist, the café offers high quality food and service all year round, together with stunning views and friendly staff. The café is unique in North Uist as a meet-up place for a snack, a meal or just a cup of tea.
Read ‘Claddach Kirkibost Café – a unique meet-up place in North Uist’ here
Confidence to Cook aims to promote healthy eating messages through practical hands-on cookery sessions, particularly in low-income communities with vulnerable groups. Sessions are run across Grampian in a range of venues.
Read ‘Confidence to Cook – community kitchens’ here
Sunlite Café in Stirling gives people with mental health challenges the opportunity to gain self-confidence and skills in a friendly, supportive environment. Members are involved in running the café and offered food and hygiene training, including REHIS Elementary Cooking Skills.
Read ‘Let’s Make it Better – Sunlite Café’ here
Stepping Out is a voluntary organisation based in the North Berwick Community Centre. The aim of the organisation is to provide people with mental health problems (mostly severe and enduring) with an opportunity to participate in various food-based activities.
Read ‘Stepping Out – eating and growing food together’ here
ENABLE Scotland supports adults and children with learning disabilities living in their own homes, or shared accommodation, to achieve their personal goals. Since 2007, it has encouraged its staff to train in nutrition to ensure people using their service receive consistent food and health messages and support.
Read ‘ENABLE Scotland – support for a healthy diet’ here
Based in Edinburgh, Upward Mobility runs workshops for students with a learning disability, covering a wide range of subjects that includes cooking and community gardening.
Read ‘Upward Mobility – cookery and growing projects’ here
CFINE – signposting support through cooking groups
CFINE (Community Food Initiatives North East) offers a holistic community food and health service which includes supporting people with issues such as money, employment, energy costs and housing. This case study looks at how they use cooking groups to link people with other agencies who can help.
Read ‘CFINE – signposting support through cooking groups’ here