Researchers are working with Hampshire County Council, Southampton City Council, New Forest District Council and the Isle of Wight Council, plus 10 different food aid services in the region, to improve the food pantries in Southampton, the Isle of Wight and the New Forest.
Background
The rising cost of living appears to be increasing the number of food-insecure households in the UK. In 2023 to 2024, 7.5 million people were in food-insecure households every month. This is an increase of 300,000 people from 2022 to 2023 and an increase of 2.5 million people from 2019 to 2020. Demand on food pantries has significantly increased in the South. Data from the Southampton Food Aid Forum, which includes food pantries in the city, shows that the volume of food redistributed to those needing food aid rose sharply from 12,319 kgs in 2022 to 32,964 kgs in 2024. Food pantries differ from food banks. Food banks are referral only, whereas food pantries are self-referral for those who need it and, for a small sum of about £5, people can choose a quantity of heavily discounted food.
Project Aims
To improve the nutritional quality of available food aid through
- improved logistics
- removing barriers to access for disadvantaged groups
- designing enhanced interventions that address dietary health inequalities
Project Activity
Food pantries, where people pay much less for food from surplus sources and public donations, have become a popular alternative to food banks. They are important for people who are struggling to afford food. However, the quality of food they supply can be low and this can affect health. We will work to improve this in Southampton, New Forest and Isle of Wight districts where there are lots of different group and communities using food pantries. Working with local councils, people in the community, those using food pantries, and those running them, we aim to make two sets of changes. First, we will develop a new online platform to help get better food into food pantries, by linking up supply and providers. Second, we will work with local communities to ask what changes they would like to make in individual food pantries. We will then use mathematical modelling to predict what long-term health improvements these changes might make.
Anticipated or actual outputs
- Research outputs will be in the form of policy briefs, videos, posters, academic papers, presentations, shared via a website.
- A customisable toolkit/online resource. The toolkit will support adoption of the logistics platform and scalability of the new interventions.
Papers and resources
Read the resource titled, 'Determining the Impact of covid-19 on food sEcurity in young families and Testing interventions'
Read the resource titled, 'The Wessex FRIEND Toolbox (Family Risk IdEntificatioN and Decision)'
Who is involved?
- Dianna Smith (PI) University of Southampton
- Behzad Hezarkhani, University of Southampton
- Craig Hutton, University of Southampton
- Ian Waldock, University of Southampton
- Janis Baird, University of Southampton
- Jason Sadler, University of Southampton
- Jenny Baverstock, University of Southampton
- Mary Barker, University of Southampton
- Nisreen Alwan, University of Southampton
- Peter Shaw, University of Southampton
- Claire Thompson, University of Hertfordshire
- Juliet Andrews, University of Southampton
- Sarah Shaw, University of Southampton
- Cara Black, University of Southampton
- Bethan Prosser, University of Southampton
Contact
Dianna Smith, D.M.Smith@soton.ac.uk
Claire Thompson, c.thompson25@herts.ac.uk
