Latest update: Blackpool Food Partnership making an edible impact

"The Blackpool Food Partnership (BFP) was set up to coordinate efforts to address food poverty in Blackpool. It’s one of the many church-supported projects that the Mission in Britain Fund supports. Last year, BFP collected over £77,000 worth of surplus food from local supermarkets and wholesalers, which it redistributed to children’s centres, community kitchens and hostels.

“We started off collecting from Sainsbury’s and now we also collect from Booths, Morrisons and My Local,” said Project Manager Nikki Hart. “It’s making a huge difference to people in poverty in Blackpool. The extra vitamins in fresh food make a huge difference to families at children’s centres.”

“Thanks to an increase in room space available in the church, we now have fridges for the first time, and more freezers. We now collect fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as cheese, butter and other frozen dairy products.”

A Connexional grant from the Mission in Britain Fund has also helped the BFP in its development. Together with the Blackpool Wellness Service, the BFP is training church volunteers to run ‘cook and eat sessions’ where people can learn how to cook cheaply and to budget properly. But the biggest impact they have made is in the connections between church projects, including coordinating the Christmas and cold winter provision across Blackpool last winter.

“The church provision is recognised by the public and private sector as well coordinated and providing a valuable service,” Nikki said. “It is now committed to helping service users tackle the underlying issues of poverty and to help them move forward.”

Last year your generosity helped fund 23 church projects which are transforming communities and lives across Britain. Thank You. You can read more about the projects we have recently supported here.