In June 2018 we invited people from across Shropshire to three workshops to discuss solutions to food poverty. Workshops were held in Craven Arms, Shrewsbury and Wem. Participants identified a range of concerns and potential solutions, which are outlined below.
KEY CONCERNS
1. Austerity, cuts & benefit changes
2. Increasing cost of living
3. The public perception of people in food poverty
4. Identifying people before they reach a point of crisis
5. The range of people affected by food poverty
6. The reduced resilience of individuals to cope in a crisis
7. A concern for the most vulnerable (youngest and eldest)
8. The multi-faceted nature of poverty
9. The growing pressure on food banks
10. Emergency accommodation with no access to cooking facilities
11. The increased pressure on front line staff and volunteers
12. The increasing difficulty of effective signposting
RURAL ISSUES
1. Rural premium – high food costs
2. High transport costs and limited public transport
3. Poor internet speeds and mobile signal
4. High levels of fuel poverty
5. A concern for the elderly and farmers
KEY SOLUTIONS
1. Improve collaboration and communication between agencies
2. Improve guidance, advice and signposting
3. Awareness raising/lobbying at both a local and national level on key food poverty issues
4. A focus on prevention, rather than just emergency food provision
5. Skills-based courses to improve confidence with cooking and budgeting
6. New initiatives which improve access to affordable healthy food in rural areas
7. New initiatives aimed to assist groups particularly hit by food poverty