Food poverty affecting Black and Minoritised communities in Bristol precedes COVID-19, but has worsened because of it. COVID-19’s devastation exposes long-standing inequalities which Black and Minoritised communities experience daily. Black and Minoritised communities live in overcrowded social housing/private rented sector, experience higher levels of unemployment, low pay, educational and health inequalities.
Many Black and Minoritised people carry underlying conditions, which heightens risks e.g. diabetes, sickle cell, heart conditions. Economically, the benefits ‘safety net’ is inadequate and inconsistent. Working Black and Minoritised people earn low pay or having been self-employed, lost work through social distancing/lockdown periods.
Food poverty amongst Black and Minoritised people is widespread, we cannot afford stockpiling or organic food deliveries. We sustain work if possible, at great risk, often as care/NHS key-workers, using public transport, or face immediate loss of household income. Black and Minoritised women are in the frontline: children at home from school, caring for elderly relatives, higher energy/food bills, and mounting debts. Significant gaps existed in sourcing and supplying culturally appropriate food to Black and Minoritised communities in crisis from the onset of the pandemic and national lockdown at the end of March 2020.
This need was particularly highlighted by several local VCSE organisations who played a key role in supporting local communities as front-line service delivery organisations. These organisations included:
Bristol Black Carers - award-winning charity providing culturally appropriate support and assistance for carers and their families within Black and Asian communities across Bristol, and working with African and Caribbean elders
Bristol Somali Resource Centre (BSRC) - supporting people who are socially and economically disadvantaged in particular but not limited to people of Somali origin and heritage living and/or working within Bristol, as well as refugees
Bristol Horn Youth Concern (BHYC) - working with Black and Asian young people by providing a range of activities including sports, leadership skills, advice and training on employability
Malcolm X Community Centre (MXCC) - multi-purpose Community Centre providing social, recreational, educational and entertainment facilities to the inhabitants of St Pauls and surrounding areas
Talo - a women-led social enterprise run by highly-skilled Somali women working with local Somali community and families
Barton Hill Activity Club (BHAC) - an activity club for children and families in Barton Hill area
Bristol Somali Kitchen (BSK) - social enterprises formed by a group of Somali women living in Easton who promote fresh, nutritious food and a thriving, affordable local food culture in Easton
BSWN formed a steering group from these local organisations as well as Feeding Bristol and FareShare South West, who confirmed that culturally appropriate food is in short supply and supporting hard-to-reach local communities would be a welcome service. All consulted organisations agreed they lacked resources to deliver food locally individually, but would be able to do so with a coordinating body overseeing the project.
“ All partners had a fair input during the life of the project. BSWN made sure that suggestions and ideas were incorporated in to the project. The key aim was to offer culturally sensitive food alternative and BSWN understood that the key partners were best place to inform on this.”
This process supported a unique emergency food partnership focused on delivering culturally appropriate food solutions, funded by Quarter Community Foundation, with BSWN as the Grant Holder and Managing organisation for the project.
Due to the local lockdown measures, the Malcolm X Community Centre remained shut for regular activity, which provided the opportunity to re-utilise this local resource in St.Paul’s as the main depot and distribution hub for the Food Hub, with a satellite in Barton Hill area of Lawrence Hill, to ensure culturally appropriate food reaches Black and Minoritised communities across difference city areas.
What did the project achieve?
The project ran for 9 months between May 2020 and March 2021, supporting local communities during all three national lockdowns. The project initially began with supporting up to 100 people and households per week, but with the continued lock down conditions and increase in number of families in need, the consortium organisations reported an increase of demand for food over the duration of the project.
This mean that by end of July, the project was supporting up to 400 people per week. FareShare responded to this need by providing additional weekly palettes of up to 800kg of ambient food, such as rice, fish, tea and tinned beans, which brought the weekly turn over of food for the organisations up to 200-250kg each. The provision included additional items such as nappies and wipes for several families with smaller children, and locally sources free activity packs for children and elderly during the lockdown.
A key supporting partner for the project were the ALD Automotive who provided a driver and access to a van to collect food from our partners and support the Coordinator in volunteering with the food sorting and packaging as well. In total, 20 volunteers were recruited to contribute to the project, 10 to support the packing and distribution of the food at the Hub, and further 10 working with the consortium organisations once they received their food allocation.
With their help, we were able to have an incredible impact in the city and the reception of the food from the communities was very welcome!
“There were tears in a few individuals eyes as they received the food. If not for the COVID 19 restrictions some people would have hugged us each week.”
The provision from this project also ensured that families with limited income were able to manage other expenses and debt better, thanks to food being taken care of, as one of the consortium members reflected: “Families have shown some appreciation because the weekly ratio helped them make sure that children receive regular meal during the pandemic where families' income has lessened. It has also relieved them pressure from paying electricity and gas bills.”
One of the Consortium members also reflected on the impact of this project on how many people in need were reached: “This has been a great help for the community who needs support during this pandemic time, it is a big relief for families as most of the families are large families with many kids at home and are struggling financially. The Somali Kitchen could not have done this support without the food hub project so we could not have reached that many families and individuals we have been supported with our weekly food distribution. We are very grateful for all the support you have given us. We are looking forward working with you again. Thank you.”
And one of the most valuable elements of this project has proven its impact on building partnership amongst local VCSE organisations: “Very positive initiative which also created unity between various Black organisations.”
The consortium members were able to share feedback provided by the beneficiaries.
