Food, Families, Futures

From 2015 to 2020, Children in Scotland developed and led an innovative and multi-award- winning project to address a major social issue: food insecurity and its links with wellbeing and education.

Launched in December 2015, the main aims of FFF were to:

• Improve the health and wellbeing of children (and their families) living in and around the partnership areas, including increasing nourishment, reducing hunger and improving nutrition
• Improve the engagement and confidence of parents in their children’s learning, resulting in improved early development, social inclusion, aspiration and attainment of children
• Increase support and commitment from the wider local community offering their time, energy and expertise to ensure the programme continues in years four, five and into the future, making it sustainable.

Our role in the Food, Families, Futures programme maintained a careful balance of strategic and delivery work streams with a focus on identifying and developing partnerships; working with professionals and engaging with children and families, and the planning, delivery, monitoring and evaluation of the clubs. We brought community partners together to respond to local needs and strengths.

Children in Scotland led the project with support from the major UK food supplier Brakes. In the first phase, Business in the Community Scotland (BiTC Scotland) was our charity partner. We also gained additional funding from other charity funds including Cash Back For Kids and the People’s Postcode Lottery.

We have supported after school and holiday provision projects across Scotland, including Glasgow, West Dunbarton, Perth and Kinross, East Lothian, Stirlingshire and Clackmannanshire.

Our policy team were involved in evaluation of Fife’s summer 2019 holiday provision, including consultation with children, young people, staff and parents.