What’s Happening
Our network of initiatives
Families miss out on an estimated £68 million in free food as Gov miss Healthy Start target
Sustain calculates that over 200,000 low-income families with young children and pregnant women are losing out on Healthy Start payments toward free fruit, veg, milk and vitamins in 2023 with 1/3 of all eligible households not signed up. Regional analysis shows that the LAs with the biggest losses are Birmingham (£1.9m), Manchester (£1m) and Leeds (£1m). The greater London region missed out on almost £12 million in missed benefits. The North West lost £9.3m and South East £8m.
Latest Healthy Eating Toolkit launched by FoodWise Leeds
FoodWise Leeds launch another brilliant toolkit for the local Healthy Holidays Plus programme.
Hull launches revamped handbook for growers
Hull Food Partnership have launched an updated Growers' Handbook at a packed-out event for their local community.
Funded PhD opportunity on Healthy Start uptake
The Department of Public Health, Policy and Systems at the University of Liverpool is seeking applicants for a funded PhD opportunity on Healthy Start uptake in England and Liverpool.
Report shows low income families reduced veg spending over Christmas
New research from Veg Power reveals that low income families reduced spending on food over the Christmas period due to price rises.
Two in five low-income households missing out on free healthy food and vitamins
Government falls short of its target as NHS data on number of families signed up to the Healthy Start scheme reveals eligible parents still missing out.
Nearly 3 in 4 eligible families signed up to Healthy Start in Blackpool
Blackpool bucks the national trend in number of low-income families signed up to the milk, fruit and veg scheme, after an awareness campaign sees nearly a 10% lift in uptake in the last 12 months.
EU fruit, veg and milk scheme makes improvements despite Covid
Despite the impacts of Covid-19, the EU school fruit, vegetables and milk scheme was found to have increased the proportion of children eating these healthy food items.
Healthy Start: uptake data still missing as NHS launches stakeholder survey
Government remains silent on Sustain's calls to publish uptake data and increase the value of Healthy Start payments which help low-income families buy milk, fruit and veg, while the NHS authority handling the scheme seeks input to improve promotion as hundreds of thousands continue to miss out.
Low-income families miss out on £79m toward fruit, veg and milk as Healthy Start scheme falters
Up to 50% of eligible families could not access the Healthy Start scheme in the last year, according to fresh analysis by Sustain, adding to calls for Government to publish uptake data, fix problems with the scheme and increase the value of payments in line with inflation.
