The meeting included a mix of managers, networkers, and frontline workers, all of whom have busy diaries. It is not the intention of this new group to duplicate forums that already exist, or to waste people’s time with discussions that do not lead to positive change. The group has been set up to increase the capacity of the Health and Wellbeing Network, and to better enable the community and voluntary sector to have a positive influence on the future of food, health and wellbeing in the City

Participants were enthusiastic about the new group, and did not see it as duplication, or as a ‘talking shop’. This was demonstrated by a decision to broaden engagement, through existing participants each asking other key people they work with, to participate in future meetings.

Big Lottery Wellbeing

A potential duplication was identified in relation to two sets of community food projects that receive Wellbeing funding from the Big Lottery. This includes three projects that are part of the Groundwork Northwest regional portfolio:

1. HELF (Healthy Eating Local Food)
2. Herbie mobile grocery
3. Groundwork Manchester’s Allotments For All project.

It also includes three projects that employ community food workers across the city, as part of the regional network of Healthy Living Networks’ portfolio:

    4.  Zest (North Manchester Healthy Living Network)
    5. Big Life Co. (Central Mcr HLN)
    6. South Manchester HLN.

The meeting was attended by Rowena Pyott from HELF, and Debra Pearson and Geraldine Wall from Zest. Previous discussions have taken place amongst workers from the six Wellbeing funded food projects about the need for better co-ordination of activities. In order to reduce duplication of meetings, a decision was made that the Food and Wellbeing group could act as a forum through which the projects could co-ordinate.