Two new area-wide community cafe networks are being set up, in Scottish Borders and Glasgow. Meetings in both areas are being held in the next few weeks to discuss the next steps. Please contact anne.gibson5@nhs.net if you would like to take part, or would like more info  

Two new area-wide community cafe networks are being set up, in Scottish Borders and Glasgow. Meetings in both areas are being held in the next few weeks to discuss the next steps. Please contact anne.gibson5@nhs.net if you would like to take part, or would like more information.  

First networking event from A Menu for Change. North Lanarkshire Council has responded to the increasing numbers of people turning to food banks by launching the Food Poverty Referral Gateway to ensure people get their full entitlement to crisis grants from the Scottish Welfare Fund before they turn to food banks for help. This workshop will look at the challenges and successes of the Referral Gateway and its potential to be replicated in other areas.

CFHS, Senscot and Partnership for Procurement are running two sessions on for community food social enterprises and community retailers.  The morning session will discuss issues currently being experienced by Community Food social enterprises and agree future actions/supports in relation to sustainability and growth (funding, collaboration and enterprise ). The afternoon will be a ‘sharing good practice’ session for community retailers.   More details and booking information coming soon. Contact Mary at Senscot mary@senscot.net, or Anne if interested in either or both.

Celebrate therapeutic gardening and Trellis’ 12th Conference With even more workshops, stalls, networking and showcasing of therapeutic gardening in Scotland.

Come and hear about the evidence of the impact of cooking skills courses, including: Professor Martin Caraher, City, University of London. What evidence do we have of the impact of community cooking skills courses? The results of a CFHS evaluation of 29 community cooking skills courses. Dr Ada Garcia, University of Glasgow. Results from the evaluation of the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde eat better, feel better community cooking skills courses. Plus networking and time with your colleagues to learn …

In April 2018, the first-ever national research conference on household food insecurity in the UK will be hosted by Drs Rachel Loopstra and Hannah Lambie-Mumford  at King’s College London, bringing together leading researchers and third-sector organisations to share research on this important issue.  

The annual Community Development Alliance Scotland Conference. A day to reflect and speculate on the creative potential energy released by the Community Empowerment Act in local communities across Scotland; and space to look ahead at what broader participative democracy horizons might be explored via the Local Governance Review.