ABOUT
US
Tackling food poverty in the
Western Isles
Food poverty is happening. It’s happening here and now, in communities across the Western Isles. Costs of day-to-day living are at a level which many households are struggling to meet, with many living in poverty or experiencing food poverty for the first time.
An average basket of shopping can cost 28% more on the islands than on the mainland (Tagsa Uibhist, Nourish Scotland 2023). Family, friends, neighbours, staff or clients could be living in food poverty, including in-work food poverty – skipping meals, eating poor quality food or just not getting enough to eat.
The folk of the Western Isles have never turned their backs on volunteering, helping out and looking out for friends and neighbours. Our pledge, through the Souperfood Initiative, is to work with communities to help them do that little bit more to counter food poverty.
Why ?
Why Souperfood Initiative?
SHARE A LITTLE BIT MORE.
GROW A LITTLE BIT MORE.
VOLUNTEER A LITTLE BIT MORE.
COOK A LITTLE BIT MORE.
The Souperfood Initiative challenges and supports everybody to do a little bit more. Could you, or your organisation...
Share a little bit more?
Could you share ideas/equipment/facilities with others?
Grow a little bit more?
Could you offer a growing space for a community project?
Volunteer a little bit more?
Could you donate your time to a community food idea?
Connect a little bit more?
Could you join the Souperfood Initiative Network and keep up to date with what’s happening across the Western Isles?
Cook a little bit more?
Could you cook extra portions at an event to be taken away and distributed amongst the community?
Organise a little bit more?
Could you create more events and opportunities to share and provide food?
Bringing people together around food combats more than just food poverty. It creates community, helps tackle loneliness and social isolation and positively impacts the environment, providing opportunities for local producers to find outlets for their locally grown produce, reducing food miles and providing high quality, nutritious food to the people who need it.
How ?
How do we do this?
Wh0 ?
Who is the Superfood Initiative for?
Anybody living anywhere in the Western Isles, from Barra to the Butt of Lewis, can get involved in the initiative. It’s open to everyone: employers, community groups, schools, individuals and food producers.
CONNECT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
ORGANISE A LITTLE BIT MORE.
COOK A LITTLE BIT MORE.
What can the Souperfood Initiative do for you, your company or your group?
We showcase successful initiatives that have already been rolled out across our islands to inspire and share ideas of how to build a free food offering into your existing support for your community or staff group – just to help a little bit more.
We offer free tool kits for community groups and employers to support setting up and expanding free food initiatives. These will consist of planning, development and evaluation materials, the use of which will help guide you through common considerations when starting or expanding a project – all the work has been done, you just need to adapt it to fit your own needs.
Individuals will have access to free information about all Souperfood initiatives in your area and where you can join in or get involved in supporting a local project.
Food Growers/Producers will be able to see information on projects that are being rolled out in the community, make contact with these and potentially find new outlets for produce.
What ?
Community groups, companies, individuals and growers can all be Members of the Souperfood Initiative Network.
Through this network, members can come together, share resources and support each other. Working together, we can reduce food poverty in our communities... and much more too.