Fighting Food Poverty in South Bristol

Aim

In BS13, 1 in 8 households experience food poverty. We're fundraising so that more families have access to quality food at affordable prices

Our 'Street by Street' Vision for Tackling Food Poverty in South Bristol

Background

Hartcliffe and Withywood in BS13 is recognised as a 'food desert', a place in which it is difficult for people on low incomes or without access to transport to buy affordable or good-quality fresh food because large numbers of households live more than one mile from a supermarket and there are only a handful of expensive convenience stores that sell high sugar, salt and saturated fat products but very few fresh foods. 

Our Covid-19 food response, where we cooked and distributed over 40,000 free meals in an 18 month period to households in BS13, has shown us how people have responded to mobile food delivery options and after surveying a number of households, we know that the idea of a mobile food shop would be welcomed.   

What are we aiming to do?

Our idea is to develop a ‘Real Meals on Wheels’ food shop, selling a combination of ready-made, high quality meals from our Real Meal Store kitchens plus fresh fruit, veg and other staples like bread, milk, other dairy, eggs and meat.  

Food poverty in BS13 predates the pandemic, and our new Real Meals on Wheels E-cargo bike with a refrigerated store attached - will contribute to tackling the problem. It will enable us to stock and sell good quality healthy food and locally grown produce to local people whatever their income.  We'll have riders delivering on regular rounds to streets in Hartcliffe and Withywood (BS13) - similar to the butcher or fruit and veg vans that used to make weekly visits to neighbourhoods.

Outcome

Getting the Real Meals on Wheels shop out to the community is one of the practical solutions that will bring maximum impact to families struggling with food poverty in BS13.

We will offer:

- Good quality food choice to suit all budgets.

- Locally grown produce form the Heart of BS13's Kitchen Garden Enterprise, and from other local producers.

- Twice weekly visits to streets in BS13.

-  A 'nip across your road' approach to accessing healthy food. 

- All delivered on a low carbon E-bike - providing a shop on wheels.

How can you help?

We believe that people should have the option to access affordable, high quality food choices on their doorstep - to buy what they need for a healthy, balanced diet.  If you share our vision of improving food equity and supporting healthier communities - then please help us get Real Meals onto Wheels,  by making a direct donation or pledge for one of our many wonderful rewards!   

*With new rewards offered each week of the campaign!

Massive thanks for your support!

The Heart of BS13 team

This project successfully funded on 21st September 2021