Community Empowerment

NGCFI has adopted a community engagement model as our response to the reality that all the top down efforts to “change people’s behaviour” around healthy food have failed to deliver. We see our role as putting our resources at the disposal of people in communities supporting them to take a lead in improving diet, health and well-being for themselves, their families, their community.

The Food Hub Model

Our Food Hub Model is a joined up approach in a specific local community and we currently work in three areas; Springburn, Milton and Royston. The model covers all aspects of healthy food, growing, purchasing fruit and vegetables, cooking skills, enjoying and choosing a healthy diet. It is a virtuous and expanding ‘healthy circle’ of activity and involvement.

The community takes a leading role in choosing, planning and running activities underpinned by volunteers and supported by a Food Hub Manager.

Food Hub Managers have a background in community development and/or food. They are based in the community and set out to create momentum around healthy food, with activities for different groups and new partnerships. They make sure the work we are funded to do connects up with what others are doing, and ensure the work that we are doing is truly community-led.

The Healthy Circle

Our aim is to focus on a particular community where we create a single project with access to the whole fresh food virtuous circle – growing, cooking, choosing, accessing and enjoying fresh food – a Food Hub. Where we can’t deliver all the elements, we look for partners and promote their opportunities alongside our own. People can join at any point and dip into all aspects or some.