Policy Measures Needed to Better Support Frontline Community-Based Organisations in the Fight Against Hunger in the Midlands

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe impact on food insecurity in the UK, placing the issue of how Government policy should best fight hunger high on the public agenda. Frontline community-based organisations have proven a crucial line of defence in preventing vulnerable households from falling into food poverty. The hybrid nature of such intermediary organisations positions them at the interface of logistical, compliance and distribution demands, placing considerable burdens upon them. However, policy attention has been largely directed at national distributors and their corporate donors. With the demand for emergency food provision predicted to rise as the second wave of COVID-19 grips the nation, timely research is required to understand and better articulate the policy support required by frontline community food organisations.

Partnering with Fareshare West Midlands, the project will i) outline and articulate the critical roles that community food organisations are playing in the pandemic response; ii) map the policy and governance framework within which these organisations operate; iii) make recommendations for better supporting these organisations under charitable, corporate, local, regional and devolved policy; iv) raise awareness of the hidden recipients of food support to better inform ongoing national debates.