Community Learning and Development - A year of Community Learning and Development 2023 to 2024

I don't see other people apart from my children, unless I come here. I have been out of my comfort zone, but I have enjoyed trying new foods, getting out the house and learning about where my food comes from. Trying different things and learning new cooking skills has been brilliant. Helpful support with nutritional advice. Location is fab!

Our Community Food Worker engages with food groups across Perth and Kinross to identify need within communities, educating and upskilling in healthy eating and cooking skills. Locality Food Networks have been set up around Perth and Kinross working with local groups and organisations to provide information, support around funding, learning opportunities, and signposting. Links are made to introduce newer groups to existing groups and aims to join up all sections of the food system, from community gardens to community cafes or foodbanks.

'Community Cook It' which is based on a 'train the trainer' model continues to be offered to volunteers and services who want to run a cooking group but want to develop their skills, knowledge and confidence. In 2023, 12 individuals completed the Community Cook It Training.

The Good Food Fund

The Good Food Fund aimed to take a more dignified approach to tackling food insecurity between 2023 to 2024 and supported 25 different projects across Perth and Kinross which aim to tackle food poverty, promote healthy and sustainable food, and build community food knowledge, skills, and resources.

Key achievements

• A total of £48,157.58 was distributed to projects across Perth and Kinross from the Good Food Fund.
• 3,426 people benefited from the fund.
• 41 people were referred to Welfare Rights.
• 80 volunteers supported running the projects.
• 17 cooking projects have been supported across Perth and Kinross from the Good Food Fund.

Case studies

Cooking together at Perth Hope Hub

Perth Hope Hub offers a warm, friendly space for the community to come together. Soup, sandwiches, cakes, teas and coffees are offered free of charge to everyone who attends.

Cooking skills

Through engagement with participants at the Hope Hub, many reported that they lack confidence or skills in cooking and were interested in learning in a familiar environment with peers.

Hope Hub Cooking Project

The Hub carried out a pilot project funded by the Good Food Fund, aimed to educate and upskill attendees of Perth Hope Hub in batch cooking and cooking on a budget by participating in cooking lunch for the group.

4 participants attended and 1 participant signed up for the Food Hygiene training as part of our Adult Learning offer. 

• "It was so much fun. I'd love to participate again if we could. I enjoyed all the food but the chilli was my favourite. I learned lots, especially chopping onions like a ninja...[]. Also lots of other things. It was great working as a team.... we were like a machine in the kitchen.... cooking at an industrial level. The whole experience was great."

Networking in Eastern Perthshire

Facilitation

Food groups and foodbanks from Burrelton, Coupar Angus, Blairgowrie and Alyth meet up to four times a year. A platform for groups to share learning, raise concerns, challenges, identify any gaps, and to showcase inspiring work across Perth and Kinross.

Empowerment

Groups have found their own way of communicating outside of the network using WhatsApp group chat, allowing volunteers to share experiences and resources with each other, particularly helping to reduce food waste.

Influence

The network initiated a development of a Perth and Kinross-wide Food Network for Perth and Kinross Council.

Growth

Initial Perth and Kinross network meeting took place on 26 March 2024: 25 participants attended and 100% of attendees found this useful and want to meet again in the future. Plans are to hold 3 or 4 Perth and Kinross-wide events every year.

Did you know?

Perth and Kinross has a multicultural population including Gypsy Traveller, Polish, and Chinese communities with long-established roots in the area, and newer communities who have settled in the area over the past decade. (Source: Perth and Kinross Culture Strategy 2023 to 2028)