Affordable Healthy Food Midlothian (360G-SCVO-a0gb000000QAfP1AAL)

We want to improve access of individuals affected by welfare reform to affordable healthy food in Midlothian by namely: • Linking into the work of existing voluntary organisations, community groups (such as community gardens) and the community food map; • Piloting a voucher scheme for access for benefit claimants to free fruit and vegetable, working in partnership with the local Toot for Fruit van (operated by a local Food Bank); • In partnership with other agencies produce a “Guide to healthy Eating on a Budget in Midlothian”, that can be distributed to individuals and families experiencing food poverty, including those accessing homelessness services, emergency food parcels from the Foodbank or Crisis Grants from the SWF. (The guide will include tips for example on how to reduce food waste, where to access low cost fresh produce including fruit and vegetables, e.g. details at what times of the day chain stores reduce prices of fresh produce by up to 70%, how to save energy with quick cook and “one pot”, weekly timetable and routes for the Toot 4 Fruit Mobile Fruit and Veg Mobile shop, etc.) • Working with community planning partners to identify the opportunities for improving access to healthy food arising from the Community Empowerment Act. Innovative: Access to non-perishables is provided by food bank but not fresh fruit and veg, and local residents have identified that produce in local shops is overpriced and poor quality. Local growing project have expressed interest in supporting food banks, but mechanisms not yet in place to deal with fresh produce; the creativity in the project would be in producing an earth-to-plate route for getting fresh veg to food bank users.