Category: Past Events

Visit Brickyard: Cook, Eat, Grow at the RHS Flower Show Tatton Park

Come and visit the Feeding Liverpool team this July as we head to RHS Flower Show Tatton Park

This year’s RHS Flower Show Tatton Park from 19th – 23rd July will feature show-garden ‘Brickyard’: Grow, Cook, Eat’ a sustainable, creative urban-growing space that strengthens biodiversity and connects city residents with the joy of growing good food.

The show garden designed by Conal McGuire is the first public project from Conal Studio and is a collaboration with charity partners Feeding Liverpool, the city’s food alliance passionate about ensuring everyone can eat good food, and Everton in the Community, the charitable arm of Everton Football Club that tackles social issues across the city including employability, mental health, education and poverty.

After the show, the garden will be relocated to Everton in the Community’s purpose-built mental health hub, The People’s Place, forming a lasting legacy for the city.

“Feeding Liverpool is delighted to be supporting Conal Studio and Everton in the Community with the development and post-show relocation of Brickyard. The vision and values of Brickyard bring to life Liverpool’s Good Food Plan, enabling food citizenship through making urban food growing accessible for all. Our team are looking forward to welcoming visitors to the garden to showcase the intricate garden structures that provide new ways to bring food growing into inner city spaces” – Dr Naomi Maynard, Feeding Liverpool Director

Brickyard’s design is influenced by the traditional brickyards that run alongside thousands of UK terraced streets. It responds to the limitations of awkward inner city growing spaces and looks at how we can adapt them for modern living. Factors such as tenancy agreements, environmental concerns, tradition, and cost have a massive impact on how people utilise these spaces. Steel and reclaimed brick evoke the materials found in traditional brick-yards, here reimagined in a contemporary design. The ‘Granby Rock’ Terrazzo is made from the waste material of demolished Victorian terrace houses from inner-city Liverpool. It is woven through the garden, physically integrating and repurposing original material from the inspiration behind Brickyard.

During the show Brickyard will host live demonstrations from Andrea Ku of B 4 Biodiversity. Andrea will be demonstrating how the gardens unique grow-frames enable people to cultivate food organically, in awkward outdoor spaces at home, or in shared gardens. These frames will demonstrate the benefits of companion planting and will house bespoke habitats for rare species of bumblebee and other wildlife.

Feeding Liverpool, Everton in the Community and B 4 Biodiversity are not the only Liverpool-based charities heading to the RHS Tatton Park Flower Show this year. Our friends at Faiths4Change and Myerscough College will be at the show as part of the Northern Star Show Garden, and The Gateway Collective and Taking Root will also be bringing their garden back to Bootle after the show.

Feeding Liverpool’s team will be at the RHS Flower Show Tatton Park on Thursday 20th July and Saturday 22nd July. Do come say hello!

Buy your ticket for the RHS Flower Show Tatton Park 19th – 23rd July 2023 

Summer Emergency Food Network Gathering

Register here!

Feeding Liverpool are inviting organisations in Liverpool providing emergency and community food support to join us at our next quarterly emergency food providers network gathering. We will bring together organisations to listen, learn, share and make connections, as we work towards creating a city where everyone can eat good food

You will hear from emergency food providers, connect and share your experiences, updates and ask questions.

This session will have a focus on Mental Health. More details tbc.

We would encourage each organisation providing emergency or community food support to send a representative to this session.

Teas and Coffees provided.

Who: Organisations providing emergency and community food in the City of Liverpool

When: 1:30pm to 3:30pm, Thursday 20th July 2023

Where: Quaker Meeting House, 22 School Lane, Liverpool, L1 3BT

If you have any questions please contact [email protected]

Register here!

Growing in the Community

Join Feeding Liverpool and Liverpool Food Growers Network to network and find out how your organisation can establish a community food growing project

This afternoon session will be an opportunity for community food spaces (food pantries, food hubs, community markets) across the Liverpool City Region to network, meet community growers, and find out how they can establish and develop their own community food growing projects.

We welcome organisations who are also interested in growing herb and flower gardens for their community, and anyone with growing experience who would like to support these organisations.

Refreshments and a light plant-based lunch will be provided by Eat Up Gud.

You will hear from speakers from Kensington Fields Community Association, Grow-Wellbeing and Alchemic Kitchen talking about their experiences of setting up and running community growing projects across the region.

There will also be discussion time focusing on the following topics:

  • Engaging the Public Sector on Land Access
  • How can you integrate wellbeing with food growing into Health and Social Care
  • Distributing the food you grow
  • Evidencing your impact
  • So you want to set up a food growing project

Who: Community Food Spaces, Community Growers and anyone interested in this topic
When: 12:30pm – 3pm, Wednesday 21st June
Where: Kensington Fields Social Club, 24 Hall Lane, L7 8TQ
How: Register via Eventbrite

For more information, please contact:
Elena Vacca, Feeding Liverpool Project Manager on [email protected]
Minna Alanko-Falola, Liverpool Food Growers Network Chair on [email protected]

Register via Eventbrite here

Feeding Liverpool is the City of Liverpool’s Food Alliance, connecting and equipping people and organisations to work towards good food for all. Building on our work since 2015 tackling hunger and food insecurity, Feeding Liverpool is developing and driving forward Liverpool’s Good Food Plan in partnership with communities and organisations across the city.

Liverpool Food Growers Network supports food growing projects across the Liverpool city region. Their aim is to increase the amount of fresh fruit and vegetables grown by communities ensuring fair access to all. They believe that community food growing can have a significant, positive impact on our communities and can make our city a fairer, greener and more sustainable place to live and thrive.

The Way Ahead: Emergency and Community Food Provision Discussion

Tuesday 9th May 1:30-3:30pm

Feeding Liverpool, in partnership with St Andrews Community Network and Imagine If, are hosting a strategic conversation about the long-term sustainability and direction of emergency and community food provision in the region.

The aim of this initial conversation is to identify options for a more coordinated approach to food supplies and food provision in the months and years ahead, and to develop a working group to explore the feasibility of these options in greater depth.

We would like for all who attend to actively participate in this discussion, and we may ask you to prepare thoughts and ideas on this topic beforehand.

The discussion will take place at Frontline Centre,147 Lawrence Road, Wavertree, Liverpool L15 3HA.

If you are interested and able to attend this conversation please contact Gentian on [email protected].

Good Food; Our Food Exhibition Launch

Since 2021 we’ve been listening to people across Liverpool as they have answered this question: “What does Good Food mean to you?”

For many, it means eating our cultural food.

We’ve also heard how the traditions surrounding cultural food are important to our wellbeing through our sense of shared identity, community, and heritage.

This year, working with local photographer Emma Case and community groups across Liverpool, through photographs and interviews, we’ve began building a collection of food stories.

Join us at The Black-E, Saturday 20th May from 12pm to 3pm, for Good Food; Our Food, the launch of a travelling exhibition of photographs and stories celebrating the relationship between food, culture, identity, and how important this is for our wellbeing.

 

What to expect:

  • Drop-in anytime
  • Visit the exhibition
  • Hear food stories
  • Meet your neighbours
  • Eat delicious traditional food showcased by community groups
  • Watch a Ukrainian MasterChef demonstration
  • Take part in arts and crafts for the family
  • Find out what’s next for Good Food; Our Food and how you and your community can participate

 

Register to attend via Eventbrite here

 

We are grateful for the support of our project funders Torus Foundation and National Lottery Community Fund, and our project partners Merseyside Polonia for making Good Food; Our Food possible.

Become a Healthy Start Community Champion

The Healthy Start Scheme is a means-tested NHS benefit for pregnant women and low-income families with children under 4. It provides access to good food: fruit, vegetables, milk and vitamins which are important to give children the best start in life.

In Liverpool only 65% of eligible pregnant women and parents/carers take up the scheme – meaning thousands of low income households are missing out on this vital support.

It is important we increase awareness of the scheme and support families to access this benefit.

 

Feeding Liverpool are offering free introductory training to The Healthy Start Scheme, with trainees becoming Healthy Start Community Champions, able to promote the scheme in their communities.

This training is aimed at people in Liverpool who support pregnant women and parents/carers with young children aged 0–4 years, including:

• Voluntary sector volunteers or staff members – including organisations that support families through the Holidays Activities and Food Programme

• Children centre staff, health-care related workers, and wellbeing professionals

It is suitable for people who have little or no knowledge of the Healthy Start scheme or would appreciate refresher training given the digitalisation changes in 2022.

 

Through the session you will learn:

• What is the Healthy Start Scheme

• Who is eligible for the scheme

• How the digitalisation of the scheme may impact those you support

• What being a Healthy Start Community Champion means for you

Healthy Start Community Champions will be provided with promotional materials to advertise the scheme within their organisation.

 

Online via Zoom: Thursday 27th April 10:00am to 11:00am.

This training will be led by Annette James from Feeding Liverpool.

Register to attend online here.

 

In-Person: Wednesday 3rd May 10am to 11:30am.

This training will be led by Annette James from Feeding Liverpool at St George’s Church, Heyworth Street, Everton, Liverpool L5 3QG.

Register to attend in-person here.

Those interested will only need to attend one of these sessions.

 

Please do share this training opportunity with anyone within your organisation or network who you think will benefit.

For more information, please contact Gentian on [email protected]

With grateful thanks to Merseyside Play Action Council and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital for funding this training.

Spring Emergency Food Network Gathering

Feeding Liverpool are inviting organisations in Liverpool providing emergency and community food support to join us at our next quarterly emergency food providers network gathering. We will bring together organisations to listen, learn, share and make connections, as we work towards creating a city where everyone can eat good food

You will hear from emergency food providers and learn about their organisations, their success and any challenges they are facing. There will be an opportunity to share your experiences, and ask questions too.

This session will be focusing on the topic of food supplies across the city, where there have been challenges and successes, and we will be facilitating an information sharing exercise on Good Food suppliers.

We would encourage each organisation providing emergency or community food support to send a representative to this session.

Refreshments will be provided. Please email [email protected] with any dietary requirements.

 

Who: Organisations providing emergency and community food in the City of Liverpool

When: 1:30pm to 3:30pm, Monday 27th March 2023

Where: Quaker Meeting House, 22 School Lane, Liverpool, L1 3BT

 

If you have any questions, please contact Jennifer Graham on [email protected].

 

Register to attend via Eventbrite here

Winter Emergency Food Network Gathering January 2023

We are inviting organisations in Liverpool providing emergency food support and community food support to join us at our next quarterly emergency food providers network gathering. The session will bring together organisations to listen, learn, share and make connections, as we work towards creating a city where everyone can eat good food.

At this session we will be joined by Lydia Hayes, Professor of Labour Rights, University of Liverpool and member of LATAN (Liverpool Access to Advice Network). Lydia will give a practical briefing on employment rights and in-work poverty, and how groups can best support those they serve.

You will also hear from three emergency food providers and learn about their organisations, their success and any challenges they are facing. There will be an opportunity to share your experiences, and ask questions too.

Increasingly, people using emergency food provision are in employment. Many working people have low levels of awareness of their rights at work. This, together with problems associated with insecure hours or irregular earnings and fear of being bullied by managers, means that people often don’t know how to realise the benefits of employment rights to which they are entitled.

Harsher welfare rules are expected early in 2023 that will require benefit claimants working up to 15 hours a week to increase their earnings. The cost of living crisis makes it essential that individual rights at work are realised.

The briefing will help you to open up conversations about in-work poverty, minimum employment standards, and find out how people can access help and support.

We would encourage each organisation providing emergency food support or community food support to send a representative to this session.

Lunch will be provided. Please email [email protected] with any dietary requirements.

Who: Organisations providing emergency food and community food in the City of Liverpool
When: 12pm to 2:30pm, Tuesday 17th January 2023
Where: Quaker Meeting House, 22 School Lane, Liverpool, L1 3BT

If you have any questions, please contact Jennifer Graham on [email protected].

Register to attend here

Food Aid Liverpool

Join us for Liverpool Food Aid Liverpool on Saturday 1st April 2023 at The Florrie

Liverpool’s independent community food spaces are beyond capacity and in urgent need of funds and food donations to cope with ever increasing demand.

Many people in Liverpool struggle to access good nutritious food. With the impact of the cost of living crisis it is estimated 1 in 3 people are now cutting back on heating, hot water, electricity or skipping meals to pay their bills.

To help support and raise awareness around food inequality, The Florrie and Feeding Liverpool together are partnering with many food spaces right across Liverpool to host a fundraising music festival on Saturday 1st April 2023 – Food Aid Liverpool from 2.00pm to 11.00pm (last entry is 8.00pm).

Buy tickets for Food Aid Liverpool 

The event will feature many of the UK’s best tribute artists who include Queen II, Ultimate Coldplay, The Cavern Club Beatles, Arctic Roll, Katy Ellis – Taylor Swift, Spice Girls Experience, LMXT – Little Mix, Northern Soul Train & Midnight Soul Sisters to name but a few. Liverpool’s finest emerging talent and DJs will also feature.

Food Aid Liverpool aims to raise urgent funds and food donations to support access to and the take-up of healthy food and to create greater awareness about the rise in food inequalities.

“The moment we had to turn people away, as we could no longer cope with demand, we knew something urgent had to be done to help the people and families of our communities. We quickly realised this wasn’t just our issue but the entire city’s, which urged us to create Food Aid Liverpool to hopefully end food poverty in our city and raise urgent funds through the festival.” Laurence Fenlon from The Florrie

Visiting the Food Aid Liverpool website to find out more:  www.foodaidliverpool.co.uk

Community Cooking Conversations

We are inviting organisations in Liverpool to join us for our latest Community Food Network Gathering; Community Cooking Conversations.

This session will bring together Good Food organisations to listen, learn, share and make connections with others, focusing on the theme of Community Cooking.

By community cooking we mean any project where groups meet to cook meals together or projects involving cooking meals for the community, this could look like cooking classes, community meals, a community kitchen, lunch clubs, or slow cooker projects for example.

The session will include a plant-based lunch, networking opportunities, a live cooking demonstration, and practical advice about how to setup and sustain your community cooking project from professionals in the field.

Speakers

  • Chef Leigh Menzie from Kirkdale Community Kitchen
  • Prof Bryce Evans from Liverpool Hope University talking about The Solidarity Model of Community Kitchens
  • Dr Hayley Tait from Vinny’s Kitchen, Community Plant-based Cook School
  • Keenan Humble from Alchemic Kitchen, a Feedback project

Who: Organisations in Liverpool wishing to setup a community cooking project, learn best practice for how to sustain their project, are running successful projects, or anyone interested in this topic.

When: 11:00am – 2:30pm, Tuesday 18th October 2022

Where:  Kirkdale Community Kitchen, 211 Walton Road, Liverpool, L4 4AJ

Register to attend on Eventbrite here.

For more information, please email Jennifer Graham, Feeding Liverpool’s Good Food Programme Network Coordinator on [email protected]