CFI Programme 2013-2015 - Evaluation Tender

safefood invites tenders from suitable parties to co-ordinate the programme level evaluation for the Community Food Initiatives Programme 2013-15.  The CFI Programme is funded by safefood and managed by Healthy Food for All.  The CFI Programme aims to postively influence the eating habits of families in low-income communities on the island of Ireland.  Please see the evaluation tender for further detail.  The deadline for tenders is Friday 17th May 2013.

Community Food Initiatives Programme 2013-15 Launched

The Community Food Initiative Programme 2013-15 was launched in Belfast on 11th April, 2013. Thank you to safefood for funding these wonderful Community Food Initiatives. Our role now is to work with these successful initiatives, helping them develop their projects and combat food poverty over the next three years. For more information please click here and contact Georgina at gbuffini@healthyfoodforall.com.

Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) - Factsheets

The HSBC Ireland, carried out by the Health Promotion Research Centre in NUI Galway, have published a series of factsheets on their findings.  The factsheet on food poverty highlights their finding that 20.9% of schoolchildren in Ireland report going to school or bed hungry because there is not enough food at home. The Health Behaviour in Schoolaged Children (HBSC) is a research study conducted by an international network of research teams in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (Europe). 

Kellogg's Help Give a Child a Breakfast Campaign

Kellogg's recently launched their Help Give a Child a Breakfast campaign which aims to support breakfast clubs around Ireland. Grants of €500 will be available to schools and community groups to support the delivery of breakfast clubs in local communities. Breakfast clubs can be a great way for children to start the school day and act as a useful support for families. For further information and details on how to apply for funding log on to the Give a Child a Breakfast website.

Measuring Food Poverty in Ireland - The Indicators and Implications

safefood has launched new research revealing the extent of food poverty in Ireland.  The research shows that 10% of people are now living in food poverty.  This is an increase of 3% between 2009 and 2010.  The research is based on a report published by the Department of Social Protection and the ESRI "Constructing a Food Poverty Indicator for Ireland using the EU Survey on Income and Living Conditions".  The SILC is the official source of data on income and living conditions in Ireland.  The technical report and the summary report are available online.

HFfA Call for Expressions of Interest in Community Food Initiative (2013-2015) Funding

HFfA is calling for Expressions of Interest in participating in the new all-island Community Food Initiatives (CFI) Programme for 2013-15. The main aim of the CFI Programme is to positively influence eating habits of families in a community setting. The main objective is to promote greater access and availability of healthy and safe food in low income areas through a Programme of local projects using a community development approach. Please click here for the Guidance Notes document and here for the Expression of Interest Form.

HFfA Launch A Good Practice Guide For Breakfast Clubs

On 13 September 2012 Minister Joan Burton TD, launched Healthy Food for All’s A Good Practice Guide for Breakfast Clubs at Rutland National School, Dublin 1. This Guide provides information on setting up and running a breakfast club, including case studies of existing clubs to show how they work in different settings. The Guide aims to support schools and community groups to create a positive social environment where children can prepare for the school day. The Guide was kindly funded by Kellogg’s Corporate Citizenship Fund.

To download a copy of A Good Practice Guide for Breakfast Clubs click here

New Healthy Eating Guidelines using the Revised Food Pyramid
Dr James Reilly TD, Minister for Health, launched “Your Guide to Healthy Eating Using the Food Pyramid”.  This resource will be available from the Department of Health and will be disseminated through a series of education and training seminars this year.  The Minister also launched a resource published by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland - “Healthy Eating and Active Living for Adults, Teenagers and Children over 5 Years – A Food Guide for Health Professionals and Catering Services”.  This guide explains food needs depending on age, gender, body size and activity level.  For the first time guidelines are provided on low-cost food options.  These guidelines must be accompanied by support for practical activities at community level that focus on improving access to food.

HFfA Annual Report 2011
HFfA has published its Annual Report for 2011.  The report details our activities and achievements for 2011 and marks the first year of our ambitious Development Plan 2011-2013.

Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) Survey 2010

Dr James Reilly TD, Minister for Health, launched the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Survey 2010 on 16th  April. The HBSC is a cross-sectional study conducted in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe. The 2010 Irish HBSC survey, carried out by the Health Promotion Research Centre, NUI Galway is the fourth round of data collection. The study aims to increase our understanding of young people’s health and well-being, health behaviours and their social context.  The study found that 13% never have breakfast on a weekday.  Girls, older children and those from lower social class groups are more likely to report never having breakfast on a weekday.  Overall 21% of children report ever going to bed or to school hungry because there is not enough food in the home.  This is an increase of 17% from 2006.  Find the full report here.

Counting Up the Pounds - The Economic Cost of Obesity

safefood are hosting an event to highlight existing and forthcoming research on the economic cost of obesity.  Ms Roisin Shortall TD, Minister of State, Department of Health with responsibility for Primary Care will address delegates on the value of this type of data and how it impacts on government policy. The event will take place in The Morrison Hotel, Dublin on Tuesday, 15th November 2011.  More information on this event is available here.

Launch of 'Food on a Low-Income - Four Households tell their Story'

A new safefood-funded research project explores the “why” behind the statistics around poverty and food was launched on Wednesday 2nd November. This research investigates the everyday experiences among people in four household types (families with children; single men; older people and lone parents) of food on a low income. Read the Summary Report.

Public Consultation on Advertising of Food and Drink to Children

*Update - 227 submissions received*
The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) has received 227 submissions in response to its recent public consultation on how food and drink should be commercially promoted to children in the broadcast media. The consultation, launched in August, forms part of a review by the BAI of the diet and nutrition rules contained in its Children’s Commercial Communications Code. The submissions will be reviewed by the BAI Executive and by experts in advertising and nutrition science and presented to the Authority for consideration in December.  For further information visit the BAI website.  Click here to see Healthy Food for All's response.

European Declaration on Food Sovereignty

The first European Declaration on Food Sovereignty was adopted at the Nyeleni Europe 2011, European Forum for Food Sovereignty.  The Declaration seeks to change our food system towards a more socially just and ecologically sustainable model.  Visit the Nyeleni website.

Knocknaheeny Food Focus Project

Well done to Knocknaheeny Food Focus Project who are part of the Demonstration Programme and are doing amazing work in developing their new community garden. Click here to hear a wonderful piece on their achievements from the Pat Kenny show on 10th May 2011. A big congratulations to all involved. For more information please contact Elaine O'Mahony at elaine@nicheonline.ie or Georgina Buffini at gbuffini@healthyfoodforall.com.

 

Launch of A Good Practice Guide for Community Food Initiatives

Minister Pat Carey T.D. launched HFfA's A Good Practice Guide for Community Food Initiatives in St. Andrew's Resource Centre on Monday 18th October 2010.  Dr. Eddie Rooney (Public Health Agency) and Ursula O'Dwyer (National Nutrition Advisor to the Department of Health & Children) both spoke at the all-island event. 

 

Pre-Budget Forum 8th October 2010

Healthy Food for All calls on the Minister for Social Protection, Eamon O'Cuiv, T.D to consider the range of costs involved in accessing an appropriately healthy diet when reviewing Social Welfare Rates of Payment in Budget 2011.  HFfA also asks the Minister to protect and expand the Department's School Food Programme. 

A full copy of the submission is available here.

 

Community Growers Fund

Do you have a green space lying idle? No money to do anything with it? Why not turn it into a community garden? A new fund entitled ‘The Community Growers Fund’ established at The Community Foundation for Ireland is set to assist unemployed people by getting them involved in the development of community allotments or gardens in the Dublin area. The fund which is being created by The Mount Street Club Trust (MSCT) will provide grants ranging from €1,000 to €10,000 to groups who have the capacity to work with the unemployed and can provide space for the development of a garden. The scheme is now open for applications and both the application form and the full criteria are available here.  

 

The first round of applications closes on 29th October 2010. Click here for details of how to apply.

 

Food Values Pilot Programme Evaluation

Food Values is a short programme showing how to get better nutritional value for money when shopping for food. It has been funded by safefood and produced by the Community Food and Nutrition Team (CFNT) of the Western Health and Social Care Trust for use in community/voluntary organisations. For the full report click here.

HRB Health Research Awards 2011

In line with its strategic objectives, The Health Research Board now invites applications for its 2011 Health Research Awards. This scheme aims to fund researchers and research teams to conduct internationally competitive and innovative research that will create new knowledge and evidence of benefit to health through investment in patient-oriented research, population health sciences research and health services research. The closing Date is 6 October 2010. For more information please click here.

 

Growing Together – School Garden Tips and Healthy Recipes

Does your school have a garden? Would you like to develop this garden to help children grow, prepare, cook, and eat fruit and vegetables? The Organic Centre in Rossinver, Co. Leitrim have developed a booklet for School Gardens which provides healthy eating recipes using food from the school garden. The guide was developed by children from schools in Leitrim, Fermanagh and Cavan and funded by the International Fund for Ireland’s ‘Growing Together’ Programme 2008 – 2010. Copies of the guide can be purchased for €4 from The Organic Centre

 

Europe joins forces to fight poverty and social exclusion

Inspired by its founding principle of solidarity, the European Union has joined forces with its Member States to make 2010 the European Year For Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion. The key objectives are to raise public awareness about these issues and renew the political commitment of the EU and its Member States to combat poverty and social exclusion.  Visit the website for further information on EU Initiatives.

 

Press Release January 27th 2010

 

 

New Funding Awarded to Community Food Initiatives across the island of Ireland in a bid to help tackle Food Poverty

safefood to fund 7 community food projects over 3 years

Wednesday, 27th January: safefood today announced the recipients of funding for the Demonstration Programme of Community Food Initiatives, aimed at promoting greater access and availability of healthy food to those on low incomes. Funded by safefood, and managed by Healthy Food for All, the Programme is the first of its kind on the island of Ireland, and aims to address the inequalities and overcome some of the problems faced by communities in accessing healthy, affordable food. The Programme was officially launched in Belfast today by Northern Ireland’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Michael McBride.  Click here for the full press release.

 

 

This section is designed to publicise forthcoming events and conferences held both by Healthy Food for All and key stakeholders, such as community food initiatives, Government departments, statutory agencies etc.

The section also contains our press releases and newsletters

If you would like any further information, or would like to include an event or conference that you are holding in our Conferences and Events section, please contact Sinead at +353 (0)86 3888 728 or email info@healthyfoodforall.com.