Maundy Relief – We work on the frontline in the community by responding immediately to need.

Affordable Food Project

What and why?

In Hyndburn, 25% of people experience food insecurity, and 72% of adults are classed as overweight or obese. Foodbanks have become a regular lifeline, and parts of our borough are swamped with fast-food outlets, with limited access to healthy options. Food is the foundation of life, but access isn’t equal. While some take food for granted, others struggle to afford it or find healthy options.

In November 2024, Hyndburn’s Food Solutions Network opened a crucial community conversation about food, to find out what matters most to you and hear your ideas on how we can create a stronger, healthier local food system.

View our news article

Thank you so much to everyone who participated in the: “We Need to Talk About Food” consultation. The survey aimed to explore food affordability, access, and provision in Hyndburn in order to gather insights that could inform future food initiatives and policies.

Residents were asked about their experiences with food insecurity, their use of affordable food options such as foodbanks and social supermarkets, their priorities when making food choices, and the changes they would like to see. The survey was available both online and in paper format, with strong promotion from foodbanks, churches, schools, and the council, reaching 580 participants.

The survey found widespread food insecurity, gaps in support services and strong demand for affordable food options and community-led initiatives. Key findings are highlighted in the diagram and summarised below:

Survey Findings

Food insecurity remains widespread and may be worsening.

40% of respondents reported struggling to afford food in the past month, a sharp increase from 24% in 2022 .
Of these people, 64% use foodbanks regularly or occasionally, 45% use social supermarkets regularly or occasionally and 21% use community meals regularly or occasionally.

Many in need are not using existing food support services.

33% of those struggling to afford food do not access foodbanks, community meals, or social supermarkets, indicating barriers to access such as stigma, awareness gaps, or eligibility criteria.

Affordability is a universal concern, regardless of financial situation.

80% of respondents ranked affordability as their top priority when making food choices.
12% of respondents who had not struggled financially regularly or occasionally use social supermarkets, suggesting that these models cater to a broader demographic than just those in crisis.

Demand for new food initiatives is high.

Among those who have struggled to afford food, the top priorities for investment were:
- Social supermarkets (54%)
- Community food growing projects (34%)
- Reducing food waste (29%)
Among those who have not struggled financially, the top priorities were:
- Reducing food waste (49%)
- Improving education on cooking and nutrition (46%)
- Community food growing projects (41%)

Popular community-driven solutions include:

Social supermarkets (62% of struggling families)
Food buying groups (32% of struggling families)
Community gardens and food growing (30% of all respondents, evenly spread across demographics)
Sustainable food initiatives, including food waste reduction (37% of non-struggling families)

There are clearly high levels of food insecurity in Hyndburn, with 40% of respondents saying they or their families have struggled to afford food in the last month.

It appears that the current emergency and affordable food provision in the borough is not meeting demand, with approximately a third of respondents who have struggled to afford food in the last month never having used a foodbank or social supermarket, whether due to stigma, access barriers, or a lack of suitable options.

Food affordability is a key priority, regardless of whether people are experiencing food insecurity and there is clearly a demand for more affordable food options in the area, such as social supermarkets, to address rising food costs.

People are very open to new food initiatives such as food buying groups and improved food sustainability projects, such as reducing food waste and there appears to be a very big appetite for community food growing projects.

A fifth of respondents commented with additional ideas and suggestions, including: