What do we mean by food resilience and security?
Food insecurity is when a person lacks regular access to enough safe and nutritious food for normal growth, development and a healthy life. This may be due to a variety of reasons such as unavailability of food and/or lack of resources to obtain food. Food insecurity can be experiencedat different levels of severity.
When someone has access to affordable, safe and nutritious food at all times, even in adverse situations, then they are ‘food resilient’.
Working with food partners across Somerset, our aim is to improve food resilience and security in Somerset through a number of initiatives and reduce food insecurity.
Why does food insecurity happen?
There are many things that can lead to food insecurity – low wages or a limited income, ill-health, lack of food preparation, cooking or budgeting skills, a sudden crisis or emergency.
What are we doing to improve resilience?
There is no ‘one size fits all’ solution so we are delivering a number of initiatives:
- building the food network in Somerset and embedding best practice
- raising awareness of food events to increase engagement
- promoting the access to food and food growing options in an interactive map
- facilitating food preparation and cooking workshops
- providing grant funding for organisations to support local food resilience activities
Scroll down for full details about all of the above.
Somerset Food Resilience Network
The food resilience network is made up of voluntary, statutory and industry-based organisations including: NHS, Somerset Council, Trussell, food banks, pantries and growing initiatives – working together to raise awareness of food-based support options and improve food security and resilience in Somerset.
Heather explains how the Bridgwater Food & Support Alliance benefits from being a member of the network
Food events and activities
Check out the food calendar highlighting food related key dates in Somerset and beyond, such as:
- food preparation and cooking workshop sessions
- growing and gardening initiatives or activities
- food events
- celebration or awareness dates
Please email [email protected] with any event dates and details you wish to add to the calendar.
Food Map
The interactive map below includes organisations and projects supporting food resilience in Somerset, including: food banks, community pantries, fridges, larders and freezers, food projects, kitchen facilities/venues and growing & gardening initiatives.
If you have a food project you would like us to include, please fill in this form.
Useful Information and Guidance
We often hear from the food resilience community that find useful information can be a challenge, so we’re working on creating a suite resources.
We’ll add more over time – let us know if there’s something that would be particularly helpful.
Grant applications
Charitable and not-for profit organisation/community groups with a great idea that would contribute to food resilience in Somerset were invited to apply for one-off grants. Applications are now closed.
25 grants were awarded to a wide range of organisations across Somerset and we’re in the process of following up to see the impact of the grants on local communities and their food resilience and will share more soon.
‘I’ve enjoyed meeting other groups who are doing what we’re doing, which is cooking surplus food and delivering is to those who need it most. I’ve been inspired by the people we’ve met and the ideas they’ve shared.’
Kate Benson, Wivey Food Project
Kate Benson, Wivey Food Project
Could you get involved?
We’d love to hear from you.
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