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Gosport Food Partnership

 

Introduction


Established in May 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Gosport Food Partnership (GFP) is a collaboration of like-minded organisations working across the Borough of Gosport to facilitate and enable access to affordable, nutritious and sustainable food choices for local residents within the Borough of Gosport, for improved health and wellbeing of individuals, families and communities in the local area.

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Goals

Specifically, the Gosport Food Partnership aims to:

  1. Improve food provision for those in food and economic vulnerability
  2. Promote sustainable food sources and healthy living
  3. Provide and receive support from GFP partners
  4. Provide support for smaller food-related groups that may be setting up
  5. Support the Working Groups as appropriate.

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Mission

Working together, the Gosport Food Partnership aims to ensure that everyone in Gosport has the means, knowledge and confidence to get food-related support and advice – how and when they need it – to ensure access to food, healthy living and sustainable food sources.

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Values

To ensure the Gosport Food Partnership continues to work coherently, cohesively and in alignment with the GFP’s key goals and mission, we ask that all partners involved adhere to, and actively demonstrate, the following core values throughout their work:

  • A unified, single voice
  • Collaboration and recognition of the efforts of all
  • Confidentiality and a non-judgmental attitude
  • Empathy
  • Empowerment
  • Honesty
  • Humility
  • Inclusiveness and diversity
  • Openness and transparency
  • Reliability
  • Respect
  • Supportiveness
  • Trust

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Which geographical areas does the Gosport Food Partnership cover?

The area covered by the GFP encompasses Gosport Borough, which means it supports Gosport Borough residents (including those living on the boundaries, where appropriate e.g. the Gosport constituency, including Lee on the Solent). However, nobody will be turned away based upon their postcode initially, and should local residents outside of Gosport Borough borders require support, we will always aim to help, by sign-posting such residents to the appropriate local organisations where necessary. Ultimately, the GFP is here to help in whatever we can, and will work hard to ensure that nobody who approaches us is left bereft or unsupported.

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How does it collaborate with other local agencies?

The GFP works in partnership with a wide range of settings, organisations, groups and businesses across Gosport to ensure everyone’s voice is heard and that we’re making the best use of resources in the public, private and voluntary sectors.

We’re looking to widen that reach as we move forward. Work in the sub-groups reflects that with a diverse range of activities and collaborations taking place around growing, cooking, harvesting and sharing – all aimed at creating a healthier and more sustainable approach to food.

We keep abreast of developments affecting the wider food system across the UK, learning from others and sharing our own learning and experiences. We support other similar partnerships and initiatives county-wide, including Hampshire County Council’s drive to reduce food waste, increase the number of Community Pantries and offer high-quality school holiday provision for families.

Where appropriate, regular recipients of GFP partner services can be referred to Citizens Advice Gosport and other partners such as Gosport Voluntary Action, Abri and many others for further support, including income maximization, signposting to health and wellbeing services, family services and much more.

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Partners

We are pleased to announce that the Gosport Food Partnership currently has 12 members. Each of these 12 members, listed below, are actively working to provide help to members of the public in need of support (please click on the link provided for more detailed information about the respective organisations):

 

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Gosport Food Partnership Working Groups

To lead the development of the GFP from their respective focus areas, two GFP Working Groups, established in February 2022, exist, namely:

Sustainable & Wellness, Eating & Living (SWEL)

The SWEL Working Group, Chaired by Barbara Cooke (Abri), aims to fulfil the following mission and objectives:

Mission
Encourage a sustainable, ethical food economy, better local choices, and initiatives to grow. Increase sustainable food knowledge including food waste, food packaging and the supply chain. Promote co-benefits of sustainable food choices, with a healthier, balanced diet, food utilisation, and cost savings in aid of food inequalities.

Objectives

  • Build strong connections across our communities to enable everyone to access affordable, healthier, and more sustainable food sources
  • Encourage more people to grow, harvest, share and enjoy good food together
  • Encourage more opportunities to build new, and share existing, skills and knowledge to support fairer, healthier and more sustainable lifestyles
  • Support local businesses to thrive, become more sustainable and create a more vibrant and diverse local food scene
  • Support, promote and encourage reduction, redistribution, recycling and reusing of food waste.

Crisis Food & Living Support (CFLS)

The CFLS Working Group, Chaired by Valerie Kelly (Citizens Advice Gosport), aims to fulfil the following mission and objectives:

Mission
Reducing the level of food poverty by increasing awareness and availability of a range of affordable and sustainable food choices, enabling accessibility for everyone, and building a network of crisis support. Raise awareness of healthier choices and food utilisation in aiding food inequalities.

Objectives

  • Support crisis and food emergencies via the GFP network
  • Tackle food inequalities enabling accessibility for all
  • Promote the benefits of sustainability such as cost saving and healthy choices
  • Link to wider crisis support and referrals to cover the cost of living
  • Promote and facilitate access t partnershipto partnership sharing, emergencies resources, referrals and safeguarding

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Membership

There are two types of membership to the GFP, and Membership of the group is by mutual agreement by Full Members and Partners. Entry for consideration will be conducted by Expression of Interests (EoI), and will be initially reviewed by the GFP Steering Group, and then submitted for consideration to the GFP or appropriate committee. Guest speakers and experts or advisors will be invited as required, which will be agenda-led.

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Meetings

GFP meetings are held twice a year, with a third Annual General Meeting. The meetings are organised/hosted by Gosport Borough Council and Chaired by the agreed GFP representative. The GFP Working Groups Working groups meet three times a year.

Contact information

If you would like more information about the Gosport Food Partnership – either as a resident seeking support, or as an organisation interested in potentially collaborating with, or becoming a member of, the GFP, please contact:

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