Boston one of 45 areas to get share of new, £10m community food programme designed to improve access to affordable and healthy food
Boston is one of 45 areas across England set to benefit from a new, £10 million community food programme, it has been announced.
Labour’s Angela Eagle has used her first conference speech as Environment Secretary to reveal the Good Food Neighbourhoods programme, a scheme designed to improve access to affordable and healthy food. The funding will be given to mayors and leaders in 45 local authorities – including Boston Borough Council – to back community-led food projects like community food shops, mobile greengrocers, lunch clubs, community kitchens, and cooking and nutrition programmes.
The funding, Labour says, has been directed at areas facing some of the highest levels of deprivation and childhood obesity.
Each local authority will receive £222,000 to ‘develop community-led solutions tailored to local needs’, the party says.
Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle said: “I am proud to announce our Good Food Neighbourhoods Programme. Backed by £10 million of investment, supporting 45 communities, targeted at the areas with the highest levels of food inequality.“Bringing fresh, affordable produce into neighbourhoods through mobile greengrocers. Creating community kitchens where people can learn new skills, cook together and share meals. And supporting pensioners’ lunch clubs that tackle loneliness and hunger side by side.”
South Holland District Council is also included in the list of 45, as well as the City of Lincoln Council.