One of the overarching aims of the Community Hubs Project was to tackle food poverty in Lochee and Whitfield. It aimed to provide health initiatives by providing more healthy food for families in the area and physical and mental well-being activities.
Becoming a Good Food Nation, providing food for the community through a sustainable food larder.
- Providing fresh food and veg to 100 people per month
- Providing budget meal ideas to 500 people in low income per year.
- Developing links with shops, Fareshare and other services to assist in the reduction of food waste.
- To develop a zero waste Eco wall, encouraging communities to reuse their glass bottles and reduce plastic consumption
- To develop gardening groups to grow our own food and to hand out in the community.
Both food larders have provided fresh fruit and veg alongside budget meal ideas weekly.
Lochee ran one larder a week whilst Whitfield was running 3 larders a week. Fareshare were a key partner in this, delivering items weekly.
An Eco Wall was installed at Whitfield Hub though there was no charge for using this (another larder in Dundee now has this and implemented a small charge). This provided pulses like lentils, Tea bags, coffee, sugar, salt etc as well as dishwasher tabs and washing powder.
A gardening group was started in Whitfield and is now self-sustaining being volunteer-led. No staff are required to support this. It runs in conjunction with Roundhouse in the area and their produce is made into meals that are frozen and given back to the larder.
The impact for both communities in terms of food provision/availability cannot be denied. However, we have recently removed our larder from Lochee and due to staffing have had to pause this running in Whitfield.
In both areas there is now availability throughout the week for locals to attend a larder/café and receive items. Lochee is undergoing a re-structure and moving away from the service delivery element that featured before. In the 2 months since this fully started, local needs are being addressed in a far more positive and sustainable manner.
3 groups within Whitfield are now self-sustaining and can continue to run without staff support. Volunteer roles have been explored and this has added value and purpose to those volunteering with us. Volunteers are very much valued and appreciated by DVVA and we will continue to support the development of these roles.
