From local food support to Feeding Gloucestershire
In late 2020, Community Roots began supporting a Freezer of Love, a Long Table initiative established to support people during the pandemic, alongside a food pantry at the Arkell Centre in Forest Green, Stroud.
At that point, food support initiatives were developing across Stroud and throughout Gloucestershire in response to the pressures created by the pandemic. Community Roots began to explore whether some of this activity could be better connected, creating opportunities for organisations to share information, learn from one another and strengthen the support available within their communities.
Community Roots was part of a nationwide community organising network, and during this period the network hosted a number of discussions about the impact of food poverty on communities. One of these discussions was attended by Andrew Forsey, CEO of Feeding Britain. Following that conversation, Community Roots made contact with Andrew and with Will Mansell of Grace Network/The Long Table, and discussions began about the potential to develop a countywide network which became Feeding Gloucestershire.
Bringing the network together
The first Feeding Gloucestershire meeting was held in July 2021, hosted by Bishop Rachel of Gloucester. Around 20 organisations from across Gloucestershire attended, including community hubs, food waste and redistribution projects, food banks and local councils. The intention was straightforward: to bring together organisations supporting communities with food and explore how they could support one another, strengthen connections and better understand the different work taking place across the county.
As this work developed, we also became aware of the Gloucestershire Good Food Revolution, connected with Boom Circle and the Gloucestershire Food and Farming Partnership (GFFP), which was also exploring community food activity. Conversations began about how the two strands of work could complement one another, with Feeding Gloucestershire developing a role in supporting the community-focused elements of the wider Gloucestershire food partnership.
Following a second successful countywide meeting, organisations were invited to form a steering group. This group began developing the vision, mission, aims and objectives for Feeding Gloucestershire, with the intention of moving from a series of conversations and meetings into a more established countywide network.
Supporting Feeding Gloucestershire to develop
Community Roots continued to play an active role as Feeding Gloucestershire developed. Deb Baker worked with the network until mid-2024, seconded as Network Coordinator, supporting its development from an emerging partnership into a more established organisation and helping it through the process of becoming a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO).
The work also strengthened Community Roots' connections with community food activity more widely across Gloucestershire.
Since completing the secondment, Deb has remained involved in this wider food system work, including supporting and helping to develop Nourishing Gloucester and contributing to the Cheltenham Food Board as a consultant.
This strand of Community Roots' history grew from very practical, local food support during the pandemic, but developed into something broader: connecting organisations, building relationships across places and sectors, and helping create structures through which community food organisations could work together rather than in isolation.