Warning: unless you are familiar with the structure of Manchester Partnership, and the Community Network For Manchester, you will be likely to find this section very confusing, and unless you are really keen to learn, you are advised to skip this section. At some time in the future I would like to provide a diagram to explain these structures more easily.) The Food and Wellbeing Group is a sub-group of the Health and Wellbeing Network, which is a part of the Community Network for Manchester (CN4M).
CN4M is set up as a structure to enable the community and voluntary sector to influence Manchester Partnership, which is (to a greater or lesser extent) a cross-sector partnership that makes strategic decisions about how services are provided in Manchester.
The specific part of Manchester Partnership that the Health and Wellbeing Network seeks to influence is called the Adults’ Wellbeing and Health Board. (Note: The Adults’ Wellbeing and Health Board grew out of the now deceased Health and Wellbeing Partnership.)
Manchester’s Food Futures Strategy is led by the Joint Health Unit, and is very inclusive of the community and voluntary sector. Food Futures has links with the Adults’ Wellbeing and Health Board, and seeks to influence and improve local services through these channels. In general however, Food Futures is autonomous of Manchester Partnership, and has other avenues for improving the future of food for the City.
The Health and Wellbeing Network meets every six weeks, and concentrates on the following issues, amongst others:
- Food and wellbeing
- Alcohol
- Sexual health
The Health and Wellbeing Network has two representatives on the Board of Manchester Food Futures, who have had significant influence for around three years, in promoting the interests of the community and voluntary sector within Food Futures. The two reps are:
- Rob Squires – knowledgeable in community food issues, and sustainability
- Edward Kane – expert in adult learning disabilities and accessibility
Because there are always a lot of issues to discuss at Health and Wellbeing Network meetings, and because of the success that the Network has had over three years in influencing Food Futures, the Food and Wellbeing subgroup has been established in order to increase the capacity of the Health and Wellbeing Network, to have a positive influence on Manchester Food Futures, and the future of food, heath and wellbeing in Manchester in general.
