In Food Five Ways, we are committed to growing a food system from the root.
We are very grateful to five local leaders that brought people together in November 2025 to talk about what needs to change in our local food system.
Village Life, Eyes of Many, Shamha Vibration, Max Roach community centre and Marcus Lipton Youth Club each brought together five people to give in depth insights into what needs to change in our local system. People involved included children, adults, young adults and asylum seekers.
We will build on their findings which can be summarised as:
Key Insights
- Food is more than nutrition: there are strong links to culture, identity, and family. Food described as stability, connection, and memory. Loss of traditional practices linked to convenience culture
- Access is shaped by constraint Decisions driven by cost, time, energy, and proximity. Cooking seen as valuable but limited by fatigue and resources. Structural barriers (e.g. accommodation, facilities) restrict choice
- Strong assets, weak visibility: A wide range of local food support exists. Access often depends on word of mouth. Ecosystem map shows gaps in visibility and coordination
- System fragmentation: Services are poorly connected and unevenly distributed. Navigation relies on trust and informal networks. Concerns around gatekeeping and limited access
- Dignity and trust matter: Stigma and judgement affect engagement. Safe, welcoming, culturally aware spaces are critical. Experiences of exclusion and racism impact access
- Cooking, learning, and early intervention: Cooking skills linked to confidence and affordability. Schools, families, and community spaces are key. Children show strong awareness of food and inequality
- Conditions for community-led change: Barriers: time, income, childcare, trust. Enablers: practical support, shared activities, visible outcomes. Low-barrier entry points (e.g. cooking, growing, sharing food)
Many thanks to the Heart project for supporting these workshops, and to the leaders and facilitators that brought everyone together.
Our next steps are to bring local organisations together to plan the interventions that will make change happen.