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Project Grow and Good Food Cheltenham

Project Grow and Good Food Cheltenham

GREAT Food Gloucestershire have been out and about collecting great food stories from across the county. In 2024 we caught up with Claire from Project Grow in Cheltenham, to find out more about how their project got started, as well as how the Good Food Cheltenham movement got off the ground. On the day we chatted Project Grow had recently taken on their 4th growing area in the town.

How did you get started?

Project Grow began in 2020 during the pandemic, as a way of getting locally grown food to people. We started off small with food going to local pantries and food banks, but now we have 4 growing sites and partnership projects across Cheltenham.

When we first began giving food to local pantries during the pandemic, we found that they were not set up do deal with perishables, so it wasn’t getting to the right people and food was being wasted. So, we reached out to the other community growing groups out there, to ask how we could work together to get good food to those who need it.

Then Feeding Gloucestershire came along and helped to support us – we could do so much more together as a group than we could as individual growers – this group developed into Good Food Cheltenham in May 2023, and now there are around 20 organisations working together for good food in the town.

Who is involved?

Good Food Cheltenham’s core group covers food, sustainability, and hospitality, and our network partners range from local community gardens to local authority partners. For example, Project Grow are a Cheltenham project which produce plants and produce going to Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, care homes, and hospitals, but through Good Food Cheltenham we have been able to help collaborate to provide food for community hot lunches and a community fridge in St. Paul’s.

What are your core values and aims?

Project Grow grow ‘plants and produce with purpose’ and try to inspire other people to ‘grow it forward’ This fits really well with the wider vision of Good Food Cheltenham – to create a vibrant, healthier, sustainable, and more equitable food system across Cheltenham.

What impact do you think the project has had?

Project Grow, by working collaboratively with Good Food Cheltenham, has been able to create several impactful local pilot projects. The Fresh Hope Garden Project is a collaboration between a Project Grow site at the Community Rest Garden and the Fresh Hope Pantry just 0.2 miles away – fresh nature-friendly food goes to the pantry and any waste comes back to the garden to be composted, meaning micro food miles and a virtuous loop! There are 2 more pilot projects developing at the moment – the Heritage Hub Community Garden growing food for Wiggly (a Gloucestershire based cooking skills charity) and a Student Community Garden at Francis Close Hall Campus (part of the University of Gloucestershire) to try and help those students struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.

What are the key challenges?

A key challenge is the lack of a cross sector action plan on food within Cheltenham, and lack of resources to deliver change on the ground.

What about the future?

To build a more diverse food system in Cheltenham, to continue what we’ve started and get more people involved, as well as highlighting the benefits of good food. Project Grow are also excited to be working with the RHS this year as well – helping to explore growing in a changing climate.

To find out more about Project Grow and Good Food Cheltenham check out their websites and Social Media.

Great Zerodig Project @ the RAU – Growing Agroecologically

Great Zerodig Project @ the RAU – Growing Agroecologically

GREAT Food Gloucestershire went out and about exploring the county in Autumn 2023 and popped in to the Great Zerodig site at the RAU in Cirencester, to find out more from Ed, Hanny, and the Zerodig Earth team, about how their project is going, as well as how sustainable food projects like this can transform the way we grow our food. On the day we visited the team were busy moving piles of woodchip onto the site in preparation for the ‘zerodig’ growing beds.

How did you get started?

The market garden idea was conceived by Jenny Phelps (FWAG SW) a few years ago to bring more practical agroecological learning to the students at the RAU. The 7-acre field, right next to the RAU, was being conventionally farmed, but offered real potential as a showcase for agroecology. So much could be done to enhance the site’s biodiversity, for example by planting a hedgerow and pollinating species around the edges, but also to get more people involved in climate and nature-friendly growing, by bringing in local volunteers to connect with the growing process. It took a little while to secure the land and the funding needed to get the project going, but now with £110k from the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, everything is in place for the spring growing season.

Who is involved?

FWAG SW have partnered with Zerodig Earth – the Zerodig method is a step-by-step no-dig method developed by Christopher Upton and Dr Mario Peters. The site is right next to the Royal Agricultural University, who will be collaborating and supporting the project, and lots of students have already started getting involved.

What are the core values or aims?

The project aims to boost understanding of the benefits of agro-ecological food production, strengthen the local economy, and foster community collaboration for sustainable, healthy food.

What impact has it had?

It’s just getting started but it’s really exciting to see how partnership projects like this can come together, and the potential they have to impact not just the local food system, but spark wider systems transformation through education and skills. The Great Zerodig Project Team are already planning events to engage people in the project – a bird survey and social event is currently being planned to help people identify how different bird species are related to different habitat types. Students from the University have already begun volunteering and a regular volunteering session will run every week.

What are the key challenges?

Some of the key challenges have been securing the funding needed for quite a large project to get off the ground, as well as dealing with winter weather when moving equipment and woodchip onto the site with a small team. Also really thinking about the sustainability, biodiversity, and circular economy side of the project – reducing inputs, enhancing soil and biodiversity, as well as how to have a social impact by increasing food resilience.

What are your future aspirations?

The hope is that, once up and running, the site will become a commercially viable fruit and veg business, supplying local customers, including the RAU students, with nutritious, regeneratively grown produce, all whilst providing students at the Royal Agricultural University an opportunity to gain practical experience of small-scale commercial food production, as well as learning how agro-ecology could be applied to the wider farming landscape.

To find out more about the Great Zerodig Project check out their Website and Social Media.

Wild Acres CIC – A Growing Community

Wild Acres CIC – A Growing Community

GREAT Food Gloucestershire went out and about exploring the county in Autumn 2023, stopping off at Wild Acres CIC in Berkeley, to find out more from Martin and the Wild Acres team about how their project got started, as well as how sustainable food projects like this can help build better local food systems. On the day we visited the community were busy making pickles using chillies freshy picked from their polytunnel.

How did you get started?

The project really began in Lockdown 2020, with 2.5 acres of un-used land, and was set up as a CIC in March 2021. Martin had owned the land for 20 years but opened it up to the community and leased the land back to the CIC. Wild Acres has an outdoor kitchen, compost loo, poly tunnels growing a range of produce, as well as a newly planted orchard.

Who is involved?

There are 5 directors and lots of co-producers – Tuesday and Thursdays are open for community days, and individuals and groups come down to get involved. People come to Wild Acres through social prescribing, but also via word of mouth. The site opens up for events and activities, as well as workshops exploring a range of activities, such as Yoga, Art, and Kimchi-Making. People can also book up for community celebrations and groups can come down to the site to get involved in orchards, hedgerow planting, foraging and horticulture.

What are your core values and aims?

Co-production is a key value. People come for themselves. The cooking element is really important and the outdoor kitchen really is the hub of Wild Acres.

What impact do you think the project has had?

Individuals are able to build confidence and be involved with more sustainable lifestyles, develop cooking skills, as well as soft skills such as working with people. Health and wellbeing are also improved by being involved – as it helps develops a sense of belonging and community.

What are the key challenges?

Lots of them! Public transport and getting to the site. Support for people when they first come, if they come through social prescribing, they often need a buddy to help be a bridge. Access and capital development.

What about the future?

To see what the community need is – but our vision is for a vibrant, land based, sustainable community, with shared values and ideas.

To find out more about Wild Acres CIC check out their Website and Social Media.

Tewkesbury Food Bank

Access: You need to be referred to use our foodbank, you can be referred by the following agencies - Citizens’ Advice: 0808 1896280 Bromford Housing 0330 1234034 CCP (Cheltenham) 01242 228999 Tewkesbury Drop-In Centre: 01684 299315 You may also be able to access help if you’re already in touch with social services, health agencies or housing organisations. Once your foodbank voucher has been issued, please make sure that you or the voucher issuer contact us on 01684 296824 or [email protected] to arrange an appointment for collecting your parcel.

Geographic Area: Tewkesbury

Opening Days: Tuesday - Friday
Opening Times: 9.30am - 12.30pm

Contact Details

76 Church Street, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire GL20 5RX, UK
https://tewkesbury.foodbank.org.uk
[email protected]
01684 296824
@TewkFoodbank
Collection Service
Ambient Food Items
Suitable for Vegetarians
Toiletries

Stroud District Food Bank

Please Note this is the main office of the Food Bank and we are open for donations only, we do not offer collections from this site. Collections and deliveries are available from our other sites across the district

At our sites around the District we offer support from Citizens Advice Foodbank Adviser and other agencies, please contact the main office to find out more about these services or to book an appointment.

Access: Our services can be accessed through the following referral agencies - P3, Help Through Hardship, Cleanslate, Stroud Citizens Advice, Surgeries, Schools

Geographic Area: Stroud District

Opening Days: Mon, Tues, Weds, Thurs, Friday
Opening Times: 10am - 4pm

Contact Details

Unit 19 Canal Iron Works, Hope Mills Lane, Brimscombe, Stroud, Glos. GL5 2SH
http://strouddistrict.foodbank.org.uk
[email protected]
01453 367077
@SD_foodbank
www.facebook.com/StroudDistrictFoodbank
@strouddistrictfoodbank

Gloucester Food Bank

Our administrative centre is based in Great Western Road where we organise the packing of emergency food parcels which can be delivered or collected (by appointment only) on the days we are open.

We signpost people to  support from other organisations and from April 2023, we will be working more closely with GL Communities to provide a Financial Inclusion service for people referred to us for emergency food with the aim to maximise their income so that they have more money in their pocket.

Access: We work with over 150 agencies including but not exclusively GL Communities, Citizens Advice, CCP, local schools, housing support agencies, Social Services, Local Council, National Probation Service, Domestic Abuse Support Services and several teams within the NHS who identify and refer the individuals and families lacking the funds to purchase food to Gloucester Foodbank for emergency food parcels.

Geographic Area: Gloucester City and immediate surrounding areas including Brockworth, Churchdown, Longford, Twigworth, Highnam, and Hardwicke.

Opening Days: Mon, Weds, Thurs, Friday
Opening Times: 10am - 3pm

Contact Details

The George Whitefield Centre,107 Great Western Road, Gloucester GL1 3NF, UK
https://gloucester.foodbank.org.uk/
[email protected]
01452 309683
@GloucesterFbank
www.facebook.com/Gloucester Foodbank
Ambient Food Items
Suitable for Vegetarians
Suitable for Vegans
Halal
Kosher
Dairy-Free Available
Gluten-Free Available
Allergies catered for
Toiletries

The Forest Foodbank

Access: To access our service you will require a referral from one of the following agencies St James Church, Bream – Claire Phillips 01594 562985, open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 9am to 1pm. Friday 9am to 3pm. Katrina Cracknell, Forest of Dean Community Church, Cinderford. Mobile number – 07944591112. Open – Tuesday and Fridays 10.00am – 12.30pm. Urgent parcels can be requested in the evening on the above mobile number. CCP (Green Square) Gloucestershire Community Based Support – Cinderford, Coleford and Lydney Debt, Housing, Budgeting 0300 365 200 FODCAB – North and West Gloucestershire Citizens Advice Low Income 0300 330 9006 Salvation Army Low Income, Social Care, Debt 01594 839106 FoD Families Children’s Assessment Teams Social Care 01452 426565 Chepstow and District CAP Debt Centre Debt 07539477286 https://capuk.org/i-want-help 8003280006 Age UK Community & Social Care, Legal, Housing, Financial & Social Isolation 01452 422660 Christians Against Poverty Low Income, Social Care https://capuk.org/i-want-help 07811 906 993 GDASS – Supporting victims of domestic abuse Designed to reduce the level of domestic abuse and improve the safety of victims and their families. 01452 726570 Email: [email protected]

Geographic Area: Forest of Dean

Opening Days: Thursday
Opening Times: 1pm - 3pm

Contact Details

The Forest & Wye Community Church, Parragate Road, Cinderford
http://theforest.foodbank.org.uk
[email protected]
07775 265 263
@@FoodbankForest
www.facebook.com/theforestfoodbank1
Collection Service
Ambient Food Items
Suitable for Vegetarians
Toiletries

North Cotswold Food Bank – Winchcombe

Access: In order to access our foodbank you will need a referral from an agency Our foodbank works with a number of different agencies, such as Citizens Advice, children’s centres and health visitors. To find out more about the agencies that hold our vouchers and how you can get help, please contact us.

Geographic Area: North Cotswolds

Opening Days: Tuesday
Opening Times: 1:30pm- 3pm

Contact Details

Encounter Vineyard, Gretton Rd, Winchcombe GL54 5EE
http://northcotswold.foodbank.org.uk
[email protected]
07879 375562
@NthCotsFoodBank
www.facebook.com/NorthCotswoldFoodbank
@northcotswoldfoodbank
Collection Service
Ambient Food Items
Suitable for Vegetarians
Toiletries

Cirencester Food Bank at Cirencester Opportunity Group

Access: Our services can be accessed through the following referral agencies - Help Through Hardship; Citizens Advice; GRCC; Churn Project; CDC; Tetbury Town Council; GP surgeries; Schools; NHS Health care

Geographic Area: Cotswold District (South)

Opening Days: Thursday
Opening Times: 1.15pm - 3.15pm

Contact Details

Cirencester Opportunity Group, Beeches Rd, Cirencester GL7 1BW, UK
http://cirencester.foodbank.org.uk
[email protected]
01285 896360
@cirenfoodbank
www.facebook.com/cirenfoodbank;
@ciren_foodbank
Delivery Service
Collection Service
Ambient Food Items
Fresh Fruit & Vegetables
Suitable for Vegetarians
Suitable for Vegans
Halal
Kosher
Dairy-Free Available
Gluten-Free Available
Allergies catered for
Vouchers
Toiletries
Household Items