The North Glasgow Community Food Initiative wins the annual Dame Sheila McKechnie Award
Thursday 6 April 2006
Ref: 2006/0642
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) today announced that The North Glasgow Community Food Initiative (NGCFI) was one of the winners for the annual Dame Sheila McKechnie Award.
The local food initiative was selected from over 53 applications from across the UK by a panel of judges that included the Food Standards Agency's Deputy Chair Julia Unwin, broadcaster Jon Snow (Channel 4 News) and Professor Tim Lang (on behalf of City University).
The FSA established the awards in September 2004 to commemorate the contribution that Dame Sheila McKechnie made in helping to set up the Food Standards Agency. Sheila McKechnie was a lifelong consumer champion, having previously been director of Shelter and later the Consumer's Association (now Which?).
The North Glasgow Community Food Initiative (NGCFI) was founded by students at Glasgow University. The initiative operates in one of Scotland's poorest and most disadvantaged areas where problems such as health, the environment and economic and social exclusion are deep-rooted. As north Glasgow is currently a key point for the dispersal of asylum seekers, with over 2,000 currently residing there, the NGCFI was set up to provide a cost-price fruit and vegetable co-op service for asylum seekers and the whole community. This was in response to a survey carried out by the Scottish Human Rights Centre which identified a need for fresh produce to be made available to everyone, as 13% of residents said that they were eating less than one portion of fruit or vegetables each day.
Alongside the food co-op, NGCFI also runs a healthy kids club, cookery sessions, weaning classes and a volunteer project providing dedicated recruitment, support and training for volunteers. Over the next three years, the funding provided as part of the FSA's Sheila McKechnie Award will be used to expand the services provided by NGCFI, set up further clubs and build up outreach work that will include attending local events and developing education resources.
The initiatives will receive £15,000 over a three year period to help develop and expand. Each year the Agency will provide £5,000.
Julia Unwin, FSA Deputy Chair, said: 'Sheila was an outspoken campaigner who worked incredibly hard to champion the rights of poor consumers. She would have been particularly proud to see her name associated with The North Glasgow Community Food Initiative as the overall contribution this project makes to the local community is much wider than providing fresh fruit and good quality veg - a large piece of the jigsaw is the integration they facilitate between the Glasgow residents and the asylum seekers that have been placed in the community. The panel and the Food Standards Agency would like to congratulate The North Glasgow Community Food Initiative and wish them a continuing success with their project.'
Jon Snow, presenter, Channel 4 News, said: 'I'm really pleased that we've been able to select another two outstanding projects for this year's Sheila McKechnie awards. Sheila was an inspiration to us all and what you see in both projects, is everything that Sheila stood for - empowering communities, attacking poverty and inspiring leaders. I'm particularly pleased that we're funding the project in North Glasgow as it's working in an area of acute poverty and they are doing a remarkable job in really difficult circumstances.'
Alex Wilde, of the North Glasgow Community Food Initiative said: 'We are really pleased with being awarded this funding; it is satisfying to know that the achievements of our organisation and the hard work and dedication of the staff and volunteers have been recognised. Thanks to this money we are now able to offer even more to the community.'
Notes for editors
Who was Dame Sheila McKechnie?
Sheila McKechnie was instrumental in lobbying Government to establish an agency that would genuinely �put consumers� first� and allay consumer concern about a range of food related issues.
Sheila was one of the most effective and influential consumer campaigners of her generation and helped to define the consumer movement not only in the UK but also across Europe. Sheila was awarded an OBE in 1995 for services to housing and the homeless, and made a dame in 2001 for services to consumers. Sheila died on 2nd January 2004, aged 55, after a long battle with cancer. The Agency would like to commemorate Sheila�s memory by developing an award in her name.
What is this award?
The Board of the Food Standards Agency decided in 2004 to commemorate the contribution that Dame Sheila McKechnie made in helping set up the Agency by running annual awards for community food initiatives. The awards are available to any community food initiative in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
What happens after the 3 years?
The Agency will work in partnership with the two successful initiatives to evaluate the chosen schemes and make these findings available to other community food initiatives.
How do community food initiatives apply for the award?
Applications for the award can be made between September and December every year. Application forms and information on the award process will be available on the Agency's website in advance.
Who won the awards in 2005?
The Buttershaw 'Eatwise' Project in Bradford and 'Get Fresh' in Dorset were selected from over forty applications across the UK.
For pictures of the award winners, for further information or interview requests with Alex Givens and Selina Gledo Ware from The North Glasgow Community Food Initiative, please contact Sarah Read on 020 7276 8888.
Room 245 Aviation House,
125 Kingsway,
London WC2B 6NH
Telephone: 020 7276 8888
Out of hours duty pager: 07623 978344
Fax: 020 7276 8833
Email: press.mailbox@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk