Two pioneering Yorkshire food businesses are collaborating on a World Food Day campaign (16 October 2024) that aims to raise awareness of food insecurity and health inequalities affecting children in the region and showcase the impactful initiatives both organisations are driving to combatting the issues.
Rethink Food and Blend Culinary Foundation are joining forces to run the free event at Cambridge Steet Collective, in Sheffield, on Wednesday 16 October, 16:00 – 18:00. The event will inspire and educate attendees about how they are collectively teaching and supporting children to live food secure and healthy lives now and in the future.
World Food Day is celebrated annually on 16 October to commemorate the date that the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation was originally founded back in 1945. Since then, the Food and Agricultural Organisation has been leading global efforts to end world hunger, improve food security and improve global nutrition.
The event comes at a crucial time: in an era where 10% of Yorkshire households are experiencing food insecurity, according to a recent DWP report, it is imperative that action is implemented fast. The North in particular, is facing the highest levels of food insecurity with an above average 26.8% of school children currently entitled to Free School Meals. * The urgency to address not just food insecurity but also health inequalities has never been greater, and Rethink Food and Blend Culinary Foundation are stepping up to provide solutions that educate, engage, and empower communities.
The free event is open to businesses and community stakeholders in the Yorkshire region and places can registered here. At the event you will experience first-hand how both organisations are making strides within its communities and hear directly from children about the impact of their work.
The teams will highlight the initiatives they have in play to ensure young people have the right to good food and promote sustainable and healthy food choices. Rethink Food has pledged to deliver 10 million hours of food and health education by 2030 and the money raised in the fundraiser will help roll out its School Sponsorship Programme to ensure it delivers on its ambition.
Blend Culinary Foundation’s home is within the Cambridge Street Collective Foodhall, and they are a registered Community Interest Company, sitting under the wider umbrella of Blend Family. All proceeds from their cookery school classes and private hire events are reinvested to support their mission: alleviating food poverty and insecurity, enhancing food education, and uniting their diverse cultural communities through food. Our pledge to deliver 1 million meals back into Sheffield and the surrounding community.
Kevin Mackay, Co-Founder of Rethink Food CIC:
“This event is a unique opportunity to bring people together, share stories, and highlight the vital work Rethink Food is doing in our communities and
more so drive awareness of the need for funding to help us deliver our ambitions. By joining forces with Blend Culinary Foundation, we’re not just talking about change; we’re demonstrating it. We invite everyone to come, see our work in action, and join us in making a long term, much needed difference.”
Nina Patel Bigland, COO at Blend Culinary Foundation adds:
“Linking with Rethink Food to deliver this fabulous event on World Food Day makes perfect sense with our missions aligned we can do achieve so much more!”
Rethink Food was set up by former teachers Nathan Atkinson and Kevin MacKay, who have seen firsthand the effect food insecurity and health inequalities has on children in terms of health, hunger, and behavioural impact, and more so the discrepancy between children in terms of their food knowledge.
Determined to provide a solution, Rethink Food launched a pioneering learning platform loaded with lesson plans, short films, downloadable and adaptable content, assemblies as well providing access to interactive resources like the space-age growing towers that teaches kids how to lead a food secure life. Annual subscriptions start at £500 per school.
Rethink Food has already forged corporate partnerships with the Greggs Foundation, Savills UK, Amazon, Ocado, Five Create, British Gas and the Brilliant Agency but are looking for further sponsorship to accelerate the roll-out of its digital learning platforms into schools across the UK.
