News - Understanding the barriers of accessing affordable food for children, young people and their families

Koala North West received funding from Cheshire West Voluntary Action (CWVA) to create a Food for All report, sharing the experiences of children, young people and families when accessing affordable food in the community.

The Food for All reports, which will be used to support the local food system in Cheshire West, were funded by CWVA, the West Cheshire Food Partnership and Cheshire West and Chester Council through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).

• More about the West Cheshire Food Partnership

Koala works across the Cheshire and Merseyside region, providing a range of services in the community, including family support, early years, special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and much more.

Eight focus groups took place to create the Food for All report, engaging 70 people through online and in-person sessions and one-to-one conversations.

These focus groups found that some of the key barriers to accessing affordable food are:

• financial constraints, increasing costs of meat and fish in particular and difficulty finding affordable options
• a lack of entitlement to Government support
• practical challenges.

People commented that healthy, nutritious food meant:

• prioritising fresh fruit and vegetables
• making sure a variety of foods from each food group on the plate balanced meals
• incorporating omega supplements
• cooking from scratch rather than relying on processed foods.

Stephanie, Early Years Service Manager at Koala, said: “For a lot of families, there was a big component of fear.

“A lot of families said to us in the focus groups that they’d feel confident going to a foodbank, a friend or family member for themselves, but they were worried that there was a stigma and judgement that they couldn’t feed their child.

“What we’re seeing is a real common theme that all parents, regardless of what postcode they live in, are struggling financially in some shape or form.

“That’s putting strain on parents from all demographics.

“They might be accessing support from Koala, but it’s from those honest conversations and feeling comfortable that they’re able to say they’re struggling financially, having an impact on them, their family and children.”

• Find out more about the support offered from Koala