Hackney Food Partnership

Email: hackneyfood@sustainablehackney.org.uk

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Hackney Food Partnership

The Partnership (HFP) brings together groups and individuals to help create a more healthy and sustainable food system, and to encourage and support action on food issues throughout the borough.

HFP will build on what is going well in Hackney, such as the many local food growing initiatives, and address a wider range of issues such as ethical, healthy and sustainable food procurement, promotion of local shops and markets, development of supportive planning policies, and food poverty. We will also be helping to ensure the borough moves up London Food Link's Good Food for London league table and improves on its poor showing in each of the last four years.

Click here to view the Hackney Food Charter, a summary of the Partnership's aims.

Sign up to receive news and updates from HFP or email Hackney Food Partnership to tell us about your initiative and how you'd like to get involved.

See the events page for the dates and locations of HFP working group meetings. These are open to all and focus on developing the Partnership's strategy and implementing its action plan.

HFP also organises public meetings on specific issues, and to explore new projects or areas of work. Your ideas for public meetings are welcome and HFP are interested in working with others to hold events.

Launch of Hackney Food Poverty Alliance +

Food Poverty Development Worker job opportunity

Hackney Food Poverty Alliance (HFPA) was formed at an initial meeting in October 2018 to support and co-ordinate the collective work of voluntary, community, private and statutory organisations and local people working to tackle food poverty in Hackney. The HFPA was initiated by and is a sub-group of the Hackney Food Partnership.

In 2019 the HFPA has a specific role in overseeing the development of a Food Poverty Action Plan and the piloting of some ‘test and learn’ early interventions, with financial support from Food Power and Hackney Council.

The Action Plan will build on and compliment Hackney Council’s emerging Poverty Reduction Strategy that uses a co-production and whole system approach to understand and address the barriers, needs and priorities of different vulnerable communities.

HFPA Aim

To reduce food poverty in Hackney by both mitigating its impacts and addressing the underlying causes

HFPA Objectives

Better understand the causes and consequences of food poverty in Hackney and use to create lasting local solutions
Empower those with the lived experience to contribute to the analysis, design and delivery of HFPA actions, as equals
Map existing food poverty actions, information and resources, and identify gaps
Improve sharing of information, learning and best practice and strengthen co-ordination between partners
Develop and deliver an inclusive, cross-sectoral Food Poverty Action Plan

HFPA Membership

HFPA is open to any organisation with a role to play in tackling food poverty in Hackney. Current confirmed membership:

Alexander Rose Charity
Bags of Taste
Cordwainers Grow
East London Age UK
Family Action
Garden Organic
Hackney Citizen’s Advice Bureau
Hackney CVS
Hackney Food Bank
Hackney Food Partnership
Hackney Migrants Centre
Made in Hackney
Manor House Development Trust
Policy and Partnerships, Hackney Council
Public Health, Hackney Council
Shoreditch Trust
St Mary's Stoke Newington
The Learning Trust
Young Hackney, Health and Wellbeing Team
Wentworth Nursery School and Children’s Centre

For more information, contact mary@hackneyfood.org.uk

A Food Poverty Development Worker is now required to work with Hackney Food Partnership, Hackney Council and Hackney Food Poverty Alliance to develop a Food Poverty Action Plan for Hackney, on a fixed term contract of 38 days.

Download the job description here: Final%20HFPA%20Dev%20Worker%20assignment%20details%206.2.19.docx

Closing date for applications: Tuesday 26th February 2019

Other Food News

28/03/2018 Sustain’s Food Power project works with local communities across the UK to strengthen their ability to reduce food poverty and tackle its root causes. They've published a short guide to developing and delivering local food poverty action plans and collated example food poverty action plans from across the UK to inspire and support more initiatives.
24/03/2018 HFP and Sustainable Hackney's Hackney Green Drinks event saw almost 100 people watch the film In Our Hands followed by a Q&A with food growers and campaigners, including OrganicLea, Growing Communities, and Vicki Hird.
14/09/2017 HFP has joined forces with Hackney Council to deliver a Sugar Smart campaign that aims to reduce the risk of ill health (obesity, Type II diabetes and dental caries), by reducing excessive sugar consumption in the borough. This will involve working with schools, early years, workplaces, community groups, leisure centres, dentists and independent cafes and restaurants. Complete the Sugar Smart survey to have your say and hopefully win great prizes!
15/07/2017 Register your Urban Food Fortnight event. The fortnight runs from 8 to 24 September and will help you find new foodie friends, promote your good food enterprise, launch new ideas and encourage a food system that’s better for people, communities and the planet. Register your event to appear on Sustain's map, or get in touch to discuss your ideas.
11/07/2017 Be on Sustain’s producers’ list: Each year Sustain produces a list and map of London’s great local producers to help people find each other. If you want to be on their new list, contact Sustain ASAP. Check out last year’s list of London good food producers here.
26/06/2017 Today sees the launch of A People’s Food Policy – a ground-breaking manifesto outlining a people’s vision of food and farming in England that is supported by over 80 food and farming organisations.
30/05/2017 Food for Life and the Carbon Trust have launched a Green Kitchen Standard, an award to recognise caterers that sustainably manage energy, water and waste in their operations and demonstrate a commitment to good environmental management.
25/05/2017 The Food Issues Census 2017 provides an overview of the work of civil society organisations working on food and farming in the UK. Visit the website to explore the results
22/05/2017 Jamie Oliver Food Foundation and Sustain announced the launch of the Sugar Smart website - to be a central hub for groups and campaigns wanting to reduce sugar consumption in their communities.
19/05/2017 See Sarah Bentley talk on TED about Why The World Needs Community Kitchens and Made In Hackney's 'unapologetically progressive' food policy using local, seasonal, organic, 100% plant based food
30/04/2017 House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee published it's Eighth Report of Session 2016–17 on Food waste in England, initiatives to tackle waste and its recommendations.
31/03/2017 Public Health England has produced guidance to help local authorities and businesses provide and promote healthier ‘out of home’ food provision.
09/03/2017 Annual report on UK household purchases of food and drink
01/02/2017 Interesting article by Professor Martin Caraher on Why giving surplus food to charities is not a solution to food poverty
15/11/2016 Hackney rated just better than average of the London boroughs in the 2016 Good Food for London report, with an overall score of 48%
21/09/2016 The third annual Urban Food Awards included a Roots to Work award for Growing Communities' Dagenham Farm.
19/09/2016 sustain has published London Grows Wild: A guide to wildlife-friendly food growing
19/04/2016 Pesticide Free Hackney campaigners urge council to stop using ‘toxic chemicals’ such as glyphosate.
18/03/2016 The Capital of Food report highlights the work that’s been done to improve food in London by the London Food Board, its partners and the Mayor of London’s food team.
10/12/2015 Paper published on Designing healthier catering interventions for takeaways in deprived areas
05/11/2015 Food in schools and the teaching of food, a report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on a Fit and Healthy Childhood, explores the role of schools in addressing obesity and promoting good nutritional practice and provides a comprehensive set of recommendations.
21/10/2015 In 'Beyond the Food Bank: London Food Poverty Profile 2015' London Food Link looks at what local authorities are doing to help the most vulnerable access good food.
08/12/2014 APPG Inquiry into Hunger and Food Poverty in Britain launches it's final report
28/11/2014 UK food waste – Historical changes and how amounts might be influenced in the future
27/11/2014 Child Poverty Action Group report on understanding and reducing the use of food banks in the UK
14/07/2014 A new discussion document highlights the overwhelming evidence for major changes to national food and farming policy: Square Meal: Why we need a new recipe for farming, wildlife, food and public health.
09/06/2014 Below the Breadline: The relentless rise of food poverty in Britain
19/05/2014 Edible estates - a practical guide published, to support food growing initiatives on land owned by social housing providers
24/04/2014 Sustain have published a useful guide to using planning policy to meet strategic objectives through community food growing
25/02/2014 Hackney’s Five Points Brewing Company has become the first UK brewery to become an accredited Living Wage Employer. The independent craft brewery also runs an apprenticeship scheme for 18-24 year olds, gets its energy from 100% renewable sources and are committed to assisting local charities and community projects. Three cheers for Five Points!
20/02/2014 Government report on food poverty is finally published, showing a growing demand for help to meet food needs
A Steak in the Economy - Kitchenette's report 'Why food entrepreneurship is so important to the economy - and how best to support it' includes information on jobs Hackney Council has helped create in the food industry and quotes the council's view that 'food is a cornerstone of our strategy for regeneration in Hackney'.
Vision 2020 report sets out a UK roadmap for achieving zero food waste to landﬁll by 2020
12/07/2013 The School Food Plan is launched today, with aims of increasing the the role of food in school life and helping all schools to develop develop a strong food culture. It also hopes to help divert some of the £1bn parents spend on packed lunches back into schools. See the press release here but note academies are not covered by local authority regulation so parents, staff and local communities need to encourage their uptake of good practice.
11/07/2013 Sustain has published a Guide to Good Food - Providing advice on what you can do, and ask others to do, to help make our food and farming system fit for the future
Hackney Homes encourage estate residents to grow their own food
30/09/2012 Better Breakfast Guide launched – to help businesses serve more sustainable fare
25/09/2012 What if I told you: you eat 3.496 litres of water? See this infographic about hidden/virtual water in our lives – food, washing, living etc.
22/08/2012 A government publication, Space for food growing: Guide, highlights the health and environmental benefits that community food growing can bring and encourages people to 'spot a plot'.