Issue - meetings

Report of Assistant Director Wellbeing and Housing

Purpose of report

To share the progress the Council has already made across the district towards reducing food insecurity through a wide-ranging support package that has included a food voucher scheme and new community food grant programme. This is in addition to the work the council delivers in partnership, which includes Winter Warmers, Play: Full and expanding the number of growing spaces across the district. The report also sets out further steps the council can take such as contributing to the Good Food Oxfordshire Strategy.

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended:

1.1         To acknowledge progress made over the last 7 months to reduce food insecurity across the district through coproducing projects, enabling community food network partners to make their offer more sustainable and accessible to residents experiencing difficulty in securing food.

1.2         To endorse Cherwell District Councils input into a Food Strategy for the district; promoting partnerships with volunteer groups and charities, businesses and system partners to improve outcomes for residents.

1.3         To approve the continuation of the Community Food Grant for 2023-2024 financial year at £20,000.

Resolved

(1)          That the progress made over the last 7 months to reduce food insecurity across the district through coproducing projects, enabling community food network partners to make their offer more sustainable and accessible to residents experiencing difficulty in securing food be acknowledged.

(2)          That Cherwell District Councils input into a Food Strategy for the district; promoting partnerships with volunteer groups and charities, businesses and system partners to improve outcomes for residents be endorsed.

(3)          That the continuation of the Community Food Grant for 2023-2024 financial year at £20,000 be approved.

The Assistant Director Wellbeing and Housing submitted a report to share the progress the council had already made across the district towards reducing food insecurity through a wide-ranging support package that had included a food voucher scheme and new community food grant programme. This was in addition to the work the council delivers in partnership, which included Winter Warmers, Play: Full and expanding the number of growing spaces across the district. The report also set out further steps the council could take such as contributing to the Good Food Oxfordshire Strategy.

On behalf of Executive, the Chairman thanked officers for the work undertaken to reduce food insecurity in the district.

Resolved

(1)          That the progress made over the last 7 months to reduce food insecurity across the district through coproducing projects, enabling community food network partners to make their offer more sustainable and accessible to residents experiencing difficulty in securing food be acknowledged.

(2)          That Cherwell District Councils input into a Food Strategy for the district; promoting partnerships with volunteer groups and charities, businesses and system partners to improve outcomes for residents be endorsed.

(3)          That the continuation of the Community Food Grant for 2023-2024 financial year at £20,000 be approved.

Resolved

The progress made to date in this area of work has to a great extent fulfilled the ambitions of the July 2022 Council Motion. Putting residents at the centre of the tasks enabled improvements in access, information, and delivery.  Working with a range of partners is central to how Cherwell District Council enables and supports improvement in the outcomes of programmes. Results are cost effective and more sustainable. The working group recognise the interconnected nature of food insecurity, the cost-of- living crisis and health inequalities.

The Executive is invited to endorse the proposed approach to developing a Food Strategy for the District, articulating what the District Council can offer to enable the delivery of a local food strategy in conjunction with Good Food Oxfordshire.  The Food Action Working Group (FAWG) will begin its work in Cherwell on 7 March. The Food Insecurity Working Group will provide oversight and consider the developing data to shape future action plans.

Alternative options

Option 1: Not to endorse the response to the Food Strategy developed by the Food Insecurity Working group – Rejected. This work has brought together a cross party group who have considered what the District Council could offer to enable partners and use its influence to best effect, to improve the food security of many local residents.

Option 2: Not to approve the continuation of the Community Food Grants – Rejected. The small-scale contribution of funds enables community groups to develop new offers and respond to local need.