We’re delighted to see the launch of the Government’s new Good Food Neighbourhood Fund, with £10 million being invested in community-led approaches that improve access to healthy and affordable food.

The fund recognises something we’ve seen throughout more than a decade of delivery, that local leaders understand the needs, challenges and opportunities in their communities and are often best placed to work alongside residents to develop solutions that reflect local priorities and experiences.

We’re especially pleased to see mobile greengrocers highlighted as one of the initiatives the fund could support. We know that for millions of people, reaching a shop that sells basic ingredients is a challenge, highlighting the importance of bringing healthy food closer to where people live. Through our partnership with Queen of Greens in Liverpool, we’ve seen how these initiatives  can help remove barriers to healthy food and create new opportunities for people to buy and eat fresh fruit and veg in their local community.

As Jenny, a mum of three who spends her Rose Vouchers with Queen of Greens told us:

“It’s really brilliant. It travels all around the city, so it’s really handy. Sometimes I can pick up my vouchers and then visit a different Queen of Greens stop. They’ve also started introducing organic produce, which opens up something that would have been totally unaffordable for me before.”

Corin Bell, CEO of Alexandra Rose Charity, said:

“We’re really pleased to see this investment in community-led approaches to improving access to healthy and affordable food. Local communities understand their own needs best, and we know that solutions are most effective when they are shaped by the people closest to them. It’s particularly encouraging to see mobile greengrocers recognised as part of the solution. We need more ways of bringing healthy food closer to where people live, and this fund is an important step towards creating communities where everyone has the opportunity to buy and eat fresh fruit and veg.”