Food growing hubs continue and expand thanks to National Lottery funding

Groundwork East is celebrating after being awarded National Lottery funding to continue community food hubs in Bedfordshire.

Thanks to the funding Groundwork East will be able to continue running its community food hubs that benefit those at risk of food poverty. The hubs support Luton residents to learn how to grow, harvest and cook with fresh produce. Now Groundwork is offering a variety of activities including low-cost nutritious meal planning and cooking on a budget, to help residents improve their diets and nutrition. The food grown at the hubs is used to support the delivery of these programmes. (This is the ‘Fork to Fork’ model.)

There are four hubs across Luton, with plans to expand across Bedfordshire:

• One of these hubs is a community garden at St John the Baptist Church on Rotheram Avenue (Farley, Luton LU1 5PP).
• Our second hub is at Strathmore Avenue Community Garden, Strathmore Avenue Methodist Church (Strathmore Avenue LU1 3NZ).
• The third hub is in development at Memorial Park Community Garden (Memorial Park, West Hill Road, Luton LU1 3LZ).
• A further 2 hub sites are currently in discussion and will be announced in the new year.

Fresh produce grown in the hubs is redistributed within the local community and used to enrich local food bank and crisis and destitution services and within local holiday hunger services, where children from low-income families will have the opportunity to grow, cook and eat fresh food as a part of structured holiday programmes.

Groundwork’s hubs provide the opportunity to learn new skills, meet new people and to make a contribution to supporting a healthier community across Luton, this is made possible by players of the National Lottery.

For more information contact lutonandbedfordshire@groundwork.org.uk or 01582 720147.