[Photo credit: Glasgow Times]
Thank you to Thriving Places for sharing this blog with us.
Alexandra Rose Charity was established back in 1912 for the purpose of tackling poverty for Londoners. Once established as a nationwide organisation, they moved their focus towards tackling food poverty in 2014.
The Rose Voucher Project began operating in Glasgow in 2020, in partnership with the company Firm Banana, based in Bridgeton, to provide fresh fruit and vegetable boxes to families in areas where food poverty and child poverty are at their highest levels in Glasgow.
To reach those most in need, Thriving Places PDC (Parkhead, Dalmarnock and Camlachie) and West of Scotland Housing Association worked with Firm Banana to identify and support 55 families (127 children) to receive weekly fresh fruit and vegetable deliveries through the Rose Voucher Scheme, equating to almost £500 worth of produce being distributed each week. This has had a positive impact on members in terms of their health and wellbeing, increased nutrition and also enabled them to access fresh food from a local source.
“My child gets so excited! He waits at the window for his box and gets so excited when it arrives. It is making a huge difference, as fresh fruit can be so expensive!”
The project has provided the opportunity to identify families who may benefit from further support and services and engage with other local initiatives. Referrals have been made on behalf of members to the following: online events/workshops, volunteering opportunities and training and mental health support. Some families have received vouchers from the Home Improvement Team and others have been signed up for a digital participation programme.
Glasgow Life have also supported the project by providing family recipe books that can be borrowed to try out new dishes using the fresh produce.
“The fruit and veg has been amazing! I cannot get over how long it lasts! It is a much better quality than the supermarkets! Also, the onions are HUGE, its great!”
“We are shielding, so the fruit and veg has been a god send! I am learning to make lots of soup!”
Lots of positive feedback has been received from families in receipt of the fresh food boxes and the project is a clear example of partnership working, connecting organisations to help reduce child poverty and food poverty in east Glasgow.
If you live in Parkhead, Dalmarnock or Camlachie area please contact the Thriving Places PDC team on to see how you can benefit from the Rose Voucher Scheme or become involved in the project.
Contact: Yvonne.Liddell@westscot.co.uk | 079 8519 4495
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThrivingPlacesPDC
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThrivingPDC
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivingplacespdc/