In this guest post, Dr Flora Douglas (Reader in Nursing at Robert Gordon University) discusses her recent research: In late 2019 I was commissioned to undertake a short, focused piece of work to develop a better understanding of lived experiences of parenting on a low income in Aberdeen City, by NHS Grampian’s Child Health Commissioner. …
CFHS updates
Guest Blog: Cash First approaches to addressing food insecurity: What is the role of health visitors, midwives and family nurses?
Also posted in CFHS Blog, Covid-19, Covid-19
Area of Work: Covid-19 information and resources
Webinar on supporting communities to re-start safely
UPDATE 21 MAY 2021 A recording of this webinar is now available on YouTube. With news that Scotland is expected to return to a system of local protection levels from 17th May, many volunteer, community and third sector organisations will be planning how and when to re-start their services. Doing this safely and in line …
Also posted in Covid-19, News
Area of Work: Covid-19 information and resources
How have Healthy Valleys created a sense of community during online cooking courses?
Simone Janse van Rensburg tells us what she has learned from delivering their first few online courses – for parents with young children and two different weight management groups. About the courses Simone and her colleague, a cook tutor too, created some home-made videos of recipes they knew people enjoyed at face-to-face sessions and found …
March Covid-19 e-bulletin
Our latest e-bulletin is now available, giving you information about how community food initiatives are adapting to Covid and planning for recovery. There is information about running online cooking courses, pantries and the latest reports, videos and webinars. You can read the e-bulletin here.
Also posted in Covid-19
On-line cooking sessions -Tips and ideas from Edinburgh Community Food and Greener Kirkcaldy
Edinburgh Community Food (ECF) and Greener Kirkcaldy, both usually run regular face-to-face cooking courses. They now deliver these online and gave us some tips and ideas based on what they have learnt. What approaches are they taking? Greener Kirkcaldy’s initial focus last year was to provide easy-to-follow recipes by providing cooking demos on their YouTube …
Also posted in CFHS Blog, Ideas about developing and running cooking skills courses
Area of Work: Covid-19 information and resources
February Covid-19 e-bulletin
Our latest Covid-19 e-bulletin is now available, giving you information on how Community Food Initiatives are coping with the current lockdown and planning for recovery, including putting more activities online. Plus the latest webinars and reports. You can read the e-bulletin here.
Also posted in Publications news
Areas of Work: Covid-19 information and resources, Information provision
What’s in a name? – Redistributing surplus food via Food hubs, food banks, social supermarkets, larders, community fridges and pantries….. Does the label matter?
In this blog post, our colleague Jacqui McDowell gives her views about the variety of community food provision models using surplus food: Surplus food, emergency food aid and the pandemic Putting to one side any debate and discussion on surplus food (such as definitions or sustainability), redirecting surplus food to emergency food aid has been …
Also posted in CFHS Blog
Areas of Work: Covid-19 information and resources, Food poverty and access
Guest Blog: Cooking skills online – learning from Feeding Fifers

Lyndsay Clark from the Feeding Fifers team tell us what they have learnt from putting cooking skills work online: Feeding Fifers now has their very own Face Book page! The Facebook page went live on the 25th November 2020 and now has nearly 300 followers. It has been a steep learning curve for two of …
Also posted in CFHS Blog
Areas of Work: Cookery skills, Covid-19 information and resources
Supporting your community to get the Covid-19 vaccine
The Screening and Immunisation Team in Public Health Scotland have provided an update about the process of getting the Covid-19 vaccine (8 February 2021): ‘We would like to update you about COVID-19 vaccination invitation process, so that you are well informed to support your community over the coming weeks and months. People are now being …
Posted in CFHS updates
Area of Work: Covid-19 information and resources
Using ‘cash first’ approaches to address food insecurity
Both before and during the pandemic, agencies and community food initiatives have collaborated to redirect people experiencing food insecurity towards ‘cash first’ options, such as welfare or financial advice. The Independent Food Aid Network and partners have supported this approach by developing ‘cash first’ referral leaflets for 14 local areas across Scotland. These provide signposting …