This is a special events edition as there’s lots coming up over the next week or so. Over the last month there has been a lot of talk about setting up warm spaces, seeing where there are gaps and ensuring people have food and advice. At GFL we’re keen to ensure there’s an overlap between warm spaces and free or cheap food offers in the short term, whilst working on solutions to food injustice.
If you’d like something included in future editions please get content to me (helen@lewishamlocal.com) by 13th of the month.
GENERAL FOOD JUSTICE UPDATES FROM GFL NETWORK
Just us at the next GFL network meeting on Tuesday 18th October 4 – 7pm focusing on food and the cost of living crisis at Ignition Brewery in Sydenham. Please bring some food to share, ideally cold food, that you’ve cooked or something like fresh fruit. It’s Cook and Share month starting on 16th.
Please sign up via Eventbrite so we can plan for numbers:
We’ll be presenting the latest editions of the Worrying About Money? leaflet, list of food projects and list of community gardens. As well as updates about the Food Justice Action Plan, warm spaces, from food projects and ways of addressing the cost of living crisis together.
Review of pay-what-you-can pop up café at St Peter’s Church Brockley:
We have had two Pop-Up Cafes at St Peter's Church (fourth Friday). This Cafe is firstly a training project for vulnerable adults who may want to improve their cookery skills, enjoy working as part of a friendly team and giving - which is recognised as one of the five pillars of good mental health.
We went quite basic with our offer at the August and September cafes - roasted seasonal vegetables with pasta and cheese, followed by fruit in August (all from the wonderful local Lewisham Market) and then a triumph of an apple crumble in September with some apples from a community garden.
I wanted to start small - I deliberately did not advertise or promote our first Cafe. Our team is quite inexperienced and we are all learning. Huge shout out to our fab volunteer Head Chef .
My hopes for the Cafe are that we continue to grow. With good food and a Pay What You Can price tag, I am sure this will happen!
St Peter's Church is very kind in allowing us to use their kitchen and the beautiful church for no charge.
The Cafe is part of St Peter's Love Brockley project which includes food provision every Wednesday at their Social Supermarket. Our cafe also offers a great warm space as we come to winter.
The Cafe runs every fourth Friday - next one: 28th October 12 noon - 2pm. Pay What You Can.
Volunteers welcome. Especially for washing up, 2pm-3pm.
GENERAL FOOD GROWING UPDATES FROM GFL NETWORK
There’s a lot happening with food growing at the moment.
We’ve been compiling a list of community gardens and orchards. Please let us know of any mistakes or things we we need to add or remove from the list. The plan is to start with this list, then improve it and make it look nicer and publish next month as a more comprehensive and prettier resource! Email helen@lewishamlocal.com with any changes as soon as possible.
We’ve helped to fund and organise a series of foraging, gardening and cooking events happening from 15th – 23rd October to mark World Food Day, London Challenge Poverty Week and Lewisham Borough of Culture.
There are other events happening too, see below.
Good Food Events Happening Soon
Please look at our list of foraging events happening from Saturday 15th - Sunday 23rd. Below are three of the events:
Cook & Share Month
Between 16th October to 18th November 2022, join Food For Life Get Togethers to bring your community together and share the joy of good food! Cook and Share Month is coming (goodfoodlewisham.org)
Childhood Hunger Report Launch
The call for a Childhood Hunger Commission for London - Launch 18th October 10.30 - Peckham Methodist Church
Boroughs Food Group Meeting
Boroughs Food Group Tuesday 18th 2 – 4pm
Focus on the theme of the cost-of-living crisis, chaired by Claire Pritchard (chair of London Food board, GDCA).
This meeting will immediately be followed by an optional 30-minute Q and A session for councils on the current Good Food for All Londoners survey.
Zoom https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81941921812?pwd=Mlg1T0NaYjFYTlRZaExJcDl1cVExdz09 (Meeting ID: 819 4192 1812/ Passcode: 814554)
Full Agenda
Intro and welcome from Chair – Claire Pritchard
Part 1: Setting the Scene
The London Food Board update – Claire Pritchard
Cost-of-living crisis and sustainable food – Kath Dalmeny, Sustain CEO
Food insecurity findings and food price tracking, Food Foundation – Shona Goudie
Part 2: Response to the crisis – Council case studies
LB Hammersmith and Fulham – Judi Kidger (secondary school universal free school meals)
LB Waltham Forest – Daniel Gardener
LB Islington – Michelle Webb
RB Greenwich - Claire Pritchard
Part 3: Good Food for All Londoners
Good Food for All Londoners, overview, timeline and update – Hannah Crump / Morven Oliver, Sustain
Part 4: Signposting for Councils
Update Fairness and Inclusion team– Emily Spoor, GLA
An introduction to Poverty Truth Commissions – Andrew Grinnell, Poverty Truth Commission
Roadmap to a Good Food Economy during a cost-of-living crisis– Sofia Parente, Sustainable Food Places
Part 5: Close
Noticeboard: 1-minute updates from attendees
Finish and close and networking
Optional: Council Drop-in session (16:00-16:30pm)
London’s Circular Food Procurement Working Group Session
Thursday 20th October 9.30 - 2pm, lunch provided
Apple Day Family Fun Day at Chinbrook Meadows Park Orchard
Saturday 22nd 1.30 - 4pm
Preserving Nature's Bounty: Turning seasonal gluts into jams and chutneys
Wednesday 26th 2pm
Autumn brings a windfall of fruit and veg, even in urban areas. Learn how to preserve them deliciously to save money and reduce waste
1st November 10am – Sydenham Winter Welcome Launch at Ignition Brewery
Sydenham have been mapping warm spaces and offering more on days where there wasn’t something before. At the launch they’ll share the programme of activities and invite people to meet each other and perhaps offer to volunteer at one of the coffee mornings or other activities.
Meet the Buyer Event 2022 - hosted by the Lewisham Deal partnership
Thursday 10th November
The 'Lewisham Deal' Meet the Buyer event is an amazing opportunity for local SME's looking to access public sector supply chains.
Local Green Businesses
Good Food Case Studies
We recently visited Petit Village in Deptford
Get your juices, coffee and organic veg in one place Deptford High Street and get 10% off with your Lewisham Local card.
Saul and Adrianna have a great selection of fresh organic fruit and veg and are specialists in sourcing Latin American produce as well. Did we mention they also host amazing supper clubs which combine good food, great music and storytelling?
If you’d like a local green business featured in this newsletter please email helen@lewishamlocal.com
Lewisham Business Awards
The public vote is now open for the Mayor of Lewisham Business Awards 2022 so please get involved. There are plenty of good food and social businesses who have been nominated – cafes, restaurants, shops, online, markets etc. Some of the nominees have been working with us in various ways at Lewisham Local – Lee Greens box scheme, Ignition Brewery social business, Horniman Museum and Gardens, Millwall Football Club and Community Trust and many more.
Deadline 21st October.
Green Your Eats Competition 2022
Eating less meat makes a big difference to carbon emissions and impact on the environment
Climate Action Lewisham has launched a competition to showcase and celebrate venues in Lewisham which are offering delicious plant-based, planet-friendly food!
Vote for your favourite place! Winners will be announced in December.
Map of places here.
Contact Zaria <zaria@climateactionlewisham.org
How is your local food enterprise doing in the cost of living?
Sustain are undertaking a snapshot survey to help assess the impact of rising food and energy prices on local food enterprises and other food organisations in our networks. The survey takes only 15 mins. Your responses will help inform our focus and calls to action for national and local policy makers to help the range of small and medium enterprises that support access to good food at this time of uncertainty and beyond.
Answer the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/food-SMEs
Are you or do you know any recommended Lewisham based caterers?
Lewisham Local is developing an online directory of local caterers to encourage local residents to use locally based suppliers for events such as meetings, weddings and memorials. Such as: Refugee Café.
Find the directory here: Local Catering Companies - Lewisham Local Email simone@lewishamlocal.com to contribute to the directory.
Requests
Final call for updates to our food projects list!
We’re going to be finalising and printing this on Monday ready for the network meeting on Tuesday. If any details of your projects have changed, please let us know.
Mapping Warm Spaces
To support individuals affected by increased living costs this Winter, local establishments are beginning to set up as Warm Spaces. Lewisham Local has started to work with partners across the borough to map and promote the Warm Spaces. All spaces are currently different, some may be providing hot drinks, others may be providing hot food, others may be providing social activities and additional support. Please check each listing for an overview of opening times and services provided.
Please contact helen@lewishamlocal.com and maria@lewishamlocal.com if you know of any warm spaces being offered. Please send opening times, any activities being offered etc. – thank you.
One example is the Salvation Army Warm Space in Catford which will be opening on 2nd November on Mondays and Wednesdays 10am-3pm. They’ll have IT access, WiFi, boardgames, jigsaws, newspapers, tea and coffee. Donations welcome. 23-25 Brownhill Road, SE6 2HE
Community Meals for Christmas - are you planning to offer something over the Christmas break?
Will there be changes to your food offers over the Christmas period? Will you be putting on extra meals or will you be closing? We’re working with other organisations like Community Connections to put together a list which we’ll hopefully circulate in late November. Please let us know any info as soon as possible – thank you.
Resources, training, news, reports
Capital Growth’s last three training sessions of 2022:
A list below with links and how to join, plus if you know groups that would like to access these sessions but with limited funds please let me know and we'll work out how to make this happen:
Seed Saving with Julie Smith on 16 October (online)
Growing Food with Climate Change with Than Gunabalasingham on 19 October (in person at Regents Park allotment)
Irrigation techniques with Jack Astbury on 1 November (online)
If relevant, please also complete our food growing training survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/LVNW6N7
There are many training events going on across town - lots of great organisations delivering some great stuff at a more local level. Watch this space and/or get in touch with us if you have clever ideas about how we can share all this info across the network. Fiona McAllister <fiona@sustainweb.org
Loads of useful resources from the Hunger, Trauma, Dignity and Community Food Support session organised by Adur & Worthing Food Partnership
Some of these are specific to certain areas but a lot are general:
Recording of the session which is available here, a copy of the presentation is available here. The passcode for the recording is: G5Xey=rc
You can download the full report from our website here.
We also put together a number of case studies from the interviews from the research. These include person based cased studies and a summary of quotes in a poster which details why community food support is needed, but not the answer. Since then, we have put together case studies reflecting the current Cost of Living crisis.
Full links to Food Trauma resources:
Presentation:
Hunger Trauma Report: https://awfood.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Hunger-Trauma-Report_compressed.pdf
Case Studies (direct quotes from research):
Why do our neighbours need Community Food Support: https://awfood.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Why-do-our-neighbours-need-Community-Food-Support.pdf
Why community food support is needed, but not the answer:
Case Studies (additional since research):
Community Food Support and Cost of Living Crisis: https://awfood.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Community-Food-Support-and-Cost-of-Living-Crisis_compressed.pdf
Racialised Experience of Stigma
In Bristol there's a considerable racialised experience of stigma for many of our communities, adding further to the trauma of oppression and prejudice. If anyone would like to share/discuss best practice in combatting this, please feel free to contact mali@feedingbristol.org
Scottish enquiry into ending the need for Food Banks
Time to measure and monitor Food Insecurity Report
Request to Share Food Action plans etc.
List of Food Action Plans available here: https://www.sustainweb.org/foodpoverty/actionplans/
Food action plan resources: https://www.sustainweb.org/foodpoverty/action_plan/
Food Action plan resources and examples:
https://www.sustainablefoodplaces.org/resources/food_governance_and_strategy/ (see Develop, deliver and monitor a food strategy/action plan for list of strategies)
Further strategies:
Sharing action plans and other resources
Sustainable Food Places e-list: info@sustainablefoodplaces.org (to request to be added)
Cost of Living Hubs
GLA Cost of Living Hub. Sign up to get their newsletter here – lots of useful information.
Information about Agroecology
Inspiring sources of evidence of the benefits of local agroecological food growing from Agroecology Now: Our Agroecology Publications and Resources - Agroecology Now!
Funding
Lewisham Local Essentials Fund
There are 5k grants available for organisations supporting people who are on a low income and accessing food banks to provide small grants to individuals for essential items that will make a significant difference to their lives.
Read the criteria carefully in terms of what we fund and get in touch if you have any questions: https://www.lewishamlocal.com/the-lewisham-local-essentials-grant/
Don’t forget about Lewisham Local’s Friday Fundraising Club at 2pm every Friday:
Next sessions:
21/10/2022 Lewisham Lottery
28/10/2022 TBC Possibly Commissioning from both sides of the fence
04/11/2022 Childhood Trust (Matched/Crowdfunding)
11/11/2022 What does the Co-op do to help local organisations?
Contact karen@lewishamlocal.com
Cost of living crisis appeal. We’ve got 108 days left to reach our target!
Lewisham Local's Cost of Living Crisis appeal will support food projects and energy advice this winter. We have a Local Giving page and a Crowdfunding page. The Crowdfunder features some great rewards for people who pledge to the campaign.
Comments