Families given food vouchers to spend at market

Families can spend the food vouchers on fresh fruit and vegetables

Families in Bradford will be given food vouchers to spend at Darley Street Market under a new scheme.

The £120,000 project is funded by Living Well, an initiative led by Bradford Council and the NHS that will give families Nourishing Communities food vouchers to use at the new market.

The scheme will initially be available to people with long-term health conditions experiencing food insecurity.

After an initial referral and assessment, families will receive vouchers which can be redeemed for fresh fruit and vegetables.

Toni Mavin, 36, who took part in a trial scheme, was at a launch event for the project this week with her 11-year-old son Fion.

"I find that healthier food is a lot more expensive," she told the BBC.

"It's the cost and the timing.

"A microwave meal is cheaper, it's done in a minute and a half.

"Or you buy a salad and it doesn't last all week, so you've got to eat it all fast, whereas a microwave meal sits there."

The new scheme also includes targeted educational support, like cooking classes, to ensure that the vouchers remain a short-term solution.

"It's given us ideas on fast, healthy meals," Ms Mavin said.

"It's given us the confidence to make a healthier meal, the education so when we do go shopping, we're not tempted by the cheaper processed option."

Toni Mavin, who took part in a trial scheme, was at the launch event with her 11-year-old son Fion

Tim Howells, Bradford Council's head of public health, said the scheme was a "key pillar" of the district's good food strategy.

"Food insecurity affects over 20% of people living across the Bradford district," Howells said.

"This is a cash-first scheme to help reduce the reliance on emergency food provision.

"It empowers people to make a healthy choice by having vouchers to spend in local markets on healthy food.

"It's particularly focused on helping people that are part of our most underserved communities and suffering from long-term health conditions."

The voucher scheme will be delivered by local charity Inn Churches, which has been piloting the vouchers for two years, working with traders formerly in Bradford's Oastler Market.

Councillor Sue Duffy, portfolio holder for children and families, said: "I'm pleased that this new investment will help contribute towards tackling inequalities and help improve the lives of some of our most underserved communities."

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