Lewes District Food Partnership coordinated the project on behalf of the Emergency Food Network, which brings together different emergency and community food support projects across the district. Responding to network concerns about the lack of opportunity for ordinary people to share their experiences of financial hardship, the partnership successfully applied for a ‘participatory processes grant’ from national partners Sustainable Food Places which made the Feeling the Pinch project possible.
Lewes District Food Partnership work to connect communities and organisations to build better food systems for everyone. They are committed to including seldom heard voices in their movement to make Good Food for All a reality in Lewes District.
Ruby says:
“This work grew as an idea from the Emergency Food Network of foodbanks, community spaces and other projects that linked people with affordable or free food.
“People felt we were doing this work, but people were not being heard or asked their opinions. And it came from people saying they would like to see people’s stories amplified. We were fed up hearing people talk ‘on behalf’ of other people, especially politicians, and we were fed up hearing the same narratives around budgeting.
“Recruitment was a lot of me going out to talk to people and projects. I went to social groups and coffee mornings aimed at reducing isolation and various key community food projects. I work directly with a Lewes food bank so could talk to people directly here as well.
“The first session was getting to know each other and who lives in our household and what our situations were.
“We had four sessions together then a final truth hearing. The four sessions looked at who we are, what matters to us, what needs to change and what we would like to say to politicians locally. For the final session, 25 community participants came along, with councillors, community groups, housing officers and more. That was a good day.”
Next steps
Through the success of the Feeling the Pinch project, organisers have secured funding to expand the project as part of a collaboration that brings together local and national food justice and support charities, networks and local authorities. The new ‘Pinch Points’ project, due to start in May, will host multiple, place-based work-shops that feed into a district-wide panel of experts by experience.
The Feeling the Pinch project is already having an impact in Lewes District. Responding to the project, Lewes District Council have committed to increasing opportunities for meaningful participation, recognising the expertise of residents with lived experience and moving towards more transparent, compassionate interactions with residents. They are currently working on a cost-of-living action plan that places Feeling the Pinch recommendations at its core.
Different types of organisations are also recognising the value of including resident experiences and recommendations in their work. For example, organisers are working with developers Human Nature and the Food Foundation on a Health and Food Strategy for a new housing development in Lewes.
Organisers hope to widen this influence through creative communications, for example, displaying the exhibition materials in public places.
Church Action on Poverty’s role
Church Action on Poverty launched the Speaking Truth To Power programme in 2022, supporting people with first-hand experience of poverty to become more effective advocates for change. Participants share skills and ideas with one another, and identify issues and possible actions together.
There’s a national panel and also local groups in Liverpool and Southwark, and we’ve been keen to support the roll-out elsewhere. So, when LDFP expressed interest in doing a like-minded piece of work, we were delighted. A couple of members of Church Action on Poverty’s staff team have provided some practical guidance at points during the process.
Essentially, about 30 or so of its members – often dressed in parkas and wearing walking boots – turn out to tread the streets of Sheffield. On their journey, they visit food banks and other church-based poverty alleviation initiatives, to learn more about their work and how best they can help to promote and support it in their church communities and wider afield. Consequently, there is often a practical focus to the talks that they get to listen to, and to the discussions that follow.
