Our plans for 2025 - 2027
We’re evolving our solution to Dorset’s food insecurity crisis
Our current model works, but it is not enough. Between April 2023 and March 2024 we delivered 475 workshops and sessions, directly engaging and supporting 10,670 people. This is amazing, but only a small fraction of the vulnerable people who would benefit from our workshops. Over 375,000 people, nearly half the people in Dorset, are food insecure. An estimated 38,500 households with 38,000 children and young people are living in poverty.
Our new plan will help us reach more of the vulnerable families for whom food education will make the biggest difference, helping to lift families out of food insecurity and build a buffer against sliding into acute food poverty.
We’re creating replicable and sustainable models for community-based food education that provide long-term support to families, rather than short-term workshops.
Over the next three years our objectives are to develop three key strategic areas:
- Extend our training and support model to build capacity for cooking in the community, including Get Dorset Cooking.
- Roll out our Early Years programmes across the area to support young families, including community training and support.
- Target our specialist support to those groups that most need it, left out of food education or in challenging or complex situations. This includes those with disabilities, addiction, rehabilitation or chronic health challenges.
Also, we will be focusing on three strategic community action areas:
- Weymouth and Portland
- Central Bournemouth
- Sturminster Newton.
These areas have been identified from current food insecurity data to help us reach and support families in hidden or overlooked communities, including:
- Rural isolated areas
- Communities with financial insecurity
- Areas with non-financial challenges like disability or education barriers.
These areas of focus will manage our resources to develop and deliver intensive, targeted, long-term intervention programs that:
- Reduce families' reliance on food banks
- Improve nutritional knowledge and cooking skills
- Support families in managing household budgets more effectively
- Break intergenerational cycles of food poverty.
Alongside these we aim to develop additional school and community cluster programs that enhance our reach and ability to:
- Empower families with skills to create more sustainable, healthy food practices.
- Prevent more families from sliding into food poverty by providing early intervention and support.
- Build community resilience through targeted educational and support networks.
Together, this work will allow us to demonstrate a scalable, sustainable approach to addressing food insecurity that can inform broader social support strategies.
Sign up to our newsletter
Keep up to date with news, events and helpful tips straight to your inbox!
Unsubscribe at any time.
Our Supporters
