Food That Changes Lives
By George Bevan
The Redbridge Food Partnership is a new food network in the London borough of Redbridge launched by FEAST, that connects organisations and groups to tackle food insecurity across the borough. Launched with the support of one year of funding through the Greater London Authority, Food Roots 2, the model is based on the success of the Camden Food Partnership, a network of 40+ organisations supported and funded by Camden Council since 2022. FEAST is proud to be part of this collaborative work where we coordinate by sharing knowledge, best practice and opportunities, co-developing action plans and joined-up approaches through the networks Steering Group.
Behind the mechanics of these networks are two FEAST coordinators who bring their diverse and rich experiences, expertise in project management and community work, and passion to see a food secure city.
In this behind the scenes blog, discover how Bobbie-Jo Muir and Helena Kaczmarska are forging lasting connections in Redbridge and Camden to address malnutrition, powered by GLA funding and a passion for change.
“I typed into a search ‘community’, ‘charity’, ‘Redbridge’ and ‘connection’; they’re all my favourite things, right? And it blew my mind because it came up with this FEAST partnership!”
Born and bred in East London with lived experience of food insecurity, Bobbie-Jo Muir has spent her whole life building connections to help overcome malnutrition in creative ways. She had her first child straight out of high school, and created workshops to make sure that kids in the community could eat properly.
“One of the first workshops I did was with my children around the kitchen table; how are we gonna ensure that you get a good healthy meal while mum’s at work? They came up with some great ideas, so one of the first things I learned is, always have children in the room!”
When the opportunity to work with FEAST as Redbridge Food Partnerships Coordinator came along, “it felt like destiny,” she says. Her job, in her own words, is “all about connections; it’s about finding essential information, food aid places, any voluntary organisations or groups that have food at the heart of them across Redbridge, and connecting them to share their resources so we can empower them to collaborate in tackling food insecurities”. It’s a job that wouldn’t be possible without £45,000 of funding provided by the Greater London Authority (GLA) to help address the root causes of food insecurity, and it allows her to follow her passion for connection and making positive change.
“Collaboration Nation, I would hashtag that! Sharing knowledge is so valuable… It’s so impactful and sustainable to get our voices heard”
The 2023 Camden Food Summit was a big success, with lots of valuable insights shared and a great opportunity for networking.
Meanwhile, Helena Kaczmarska is Bobbie-Jo’s counterpart in Camden as FEAST’s Camden Food Partnership Coordinator. She is fascinated by the links between nutrition and behaviour, having completed a master’s degree in clinical and public health nutrition, “which was amazing”, she says. She was especially impressed by studies showing that individuals with depression experience higher rates of improvement when they receive dietary guidance from nutrition experts, compared to only receiving general social support.
“I was like, ‘wow, food is really cool; it’s so powerful and can really change lives’”
“One of the modules we did was about malnutrition in the community,” she continues. “As part of that, FEAST came and spoke about the nutrition status of homeless people living in temporary accommodation, so I volunteered to help while I was doing my master’s for about three months.” That led naturally into her current role. A job created in partnership with and with funding from Camden Council, and one that allows Helena to “help people in Camden to have access to nutritious food, which I feel very passionate about”.
“I think when you feel good, it impacts you in so many other ways in your life… There are so many messages put out by the food industry that are over-complicated, that make health inaccessible for people, so I want to impact people’s physical and mental health in a positive way”
Ultimately, both Bobbie-Jo and Helena hope to leave behind a legacy of lasting change; ensuring communities are strongly connected to one another and empowered to take meaningful action to tackle food insecurity.
“The legacy plan is to ensure that there’s accessible resources for everybody so they know where to go, they know where services are, and food groups can work together and collaborate freely. That’s the dream!”