Food poverty is a growing concern in Greater Manchester. Across the UK one in four parents have skipped meals to make ends meet, half of whom went without food for a whole day, while 4 million children are at risk of malnutrition due to low family incomes. End Child Poverty Coalition have reported that more than half of Greater Manchester’s wards have child poverty rates of 25% or more, while the number of food providers for people in need has more than doubled in five years – Greater Manchester Poverty Action (GMPA) has counted and mapped over 170 providers. The time has come for a more strategic and better coordinated response to food poverty in our city region.
The Greater Manchester Food Poverty Alliance is an alliance of people and organisations from every borough of Greater Manchester, coordinated by GMPA, who are working together co-produce a Food Poverty Action Plan for Greater Manchester. FareShare Greater Manchester has been working with GMPA for several years, and is a member of the Reference Group.
The Action Plan sets a series of aims and actions for Greater Manchester to:
- Reduce and prevent food poverty
- Build resilience and support communities to plan and adapt to the challenge of food poverty
- Address structural and economic issues that underlie food poverty, such as the benefits system, unemployment and precarious and low-paid employment
The Food Poverty Action Plan was launched on Monday 4th March 2019, celebrating how far we’ve come in co-producing this plan and to start working together to make it a reality.
When: 12:30-3pm, Monday 4th March
Where: Methodist Central Hall, Central Hall, Oldham Street, Manchester, M1 1JQ
Please use the following link to follow future events.