Gloucester secures £222,000 to help more residents access healthy, affordable food
The city is among 45 local authority areas set to benefit from the new £10 million Good Food Neighbourhoods programme, announced by Environment Secretary Angela Eagle.
The programme is designed to strengthen local food systems, improve health and nutrition, create opportunities for social connection and reduce dependence on emergency food parcels.
Locally, the investment will build on Nourishing Gloucester - the city’s partnership food strategy.
Gloucester already benefits from a strong network of community pantries and kitchens, food banks, growing projects and neighbourhood organisations. This new funding will help strengthen and connect these services, making it easier for residents to find and access the type of support that best meets their circumstances.
A central aim will be to create a more preventative approach, helping residents access support before they reach crisis point. While emergency food support will remain available for those who need it, the initiative will help more residents access affordable food options. These include community pantries and other neighbourhood-based provision where people can choose food that suits their household, dietary and cultural needs.
This approach recognises that food insecurity is often connected to wider pressures such as low income, debt, housing costs, fuel poverty and sudden changes in household circumstances. Affordable food provision will therefore be accompanied by appropriate wrap-around support, including benefits advice, debt and budgeting support, income maximisation, housing assistance and help with energy costs.
By addressing the underlying causes of food insecurity, the initiative aims to improve household stability and lower the risk of people returning to crisis. Existing work in Gloucester has already demonstrated the value of integrated support in helping households to achieve more sustainable outcomes.
A Gloucester City Council Spokesperson said: “Community organisations across Gloucester already provide vital food, advice and practical assistance to residents. This funding gives us an opportunity to connect that work more effectively, listen to what residents need and make support easier to understand and access.
By combining affordable food with choice, welcoming community spaces and wider support, we can help more households achieve longer-term stability while ensuring emergency support remains available for those who need it”
The Good Food Neighbourhoods programme is intended to support locally developed solutions in the communities that know their neighbourhoods best. In Gloucester, residents and community partners will be involved in shaping the programme so that investment responds to local needs and complements existing provision.
Further details about the programme, priority neighbourhoods and opportunities for community involvement will be announced following the publication of the Government’s formal guidance