Bwyd Powys Food Partnership

Bwyd Powys Food Partnership was established in Spring 2022

Our Chairperson is: Richard Edwards

Our Steering Group consists of: 

- Powys County Council

- Powys Teaching Health Board

- Neath Port Talbot College

- Cultivate

- Social Farms & Gardens

- Natural Resources Wales

- Black Mountains College

In July 2023 we welcomed on board Chloe Masefield as South Powys Sustainable Food Places Co-ordinator.

The Partnership completed engagement work with stakeholders and members of our communities during 2023 to map out: People. Policy. Place. The mapping included focus groups with key beneficiaries such as families on low incomes; refugees; community food groups and tenants and residents groups.

Using the results of the mapping work, we held our Bwyd Powys Food Summit in October 2023 at Hafan-yr-Afon, Newtown. 35 individuals participated from a range of strategic, decision-making organisations, such as Powys County Council, Powys Teaching Health Board, Natural Resources Wales and Social Farms & Gardens. The summit was opened by Katie Palmer, programme manager for Food Sense Wales. The outcome of the summit will be a Bwyd Powys Food Strategy. This strategy will guide the delivery work of Bwyd Powys Food for the next 4 years. 

What we do

Since being formed in Spring 2022, Bwyd Powys Food has been involved in the following campaigns and activities:
1. 'Food and Fun' Welsh Government Holiday Enrichment Programme

2. Powys Teaching Health Board's NVQ Level 2 "Nutritional Skills for Life"

3. Tir Coed horticultural studies Level 2 "Sustainable Horticulture"

4. Social Prescribing working in partnership with Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust

5. Food For Life "Plant Share" initiative

6. Partnership with Social Farms & Gardens to carry out a "Sustainable Procurement Food Hub" delivery model

7. Building partnerships with Family Integrated Centres including Welshpool and Newtown

8. Linking in with PAVO's Community Connectors to bring our messages to as many people as possible

9. Productive Community Orchards programme

10. Delivering a Campaign Grant "Food for All" to create a Good Food Economy across Powys

11. Continuing discussions with the community and keystakeholders to map: People. Policy. Place. This will help us continue to build on our Good Food Movement in Powys and create more active food citizens

12. Attending food festivals and shows including the Royal Welsh Show 2023 and Newtown Food Festival 2023 to extend our profile

13. Community engagement events including: celebration meals bringing ethnic minority groups together with the wider community to cook and eat traditional meals from different countries; blossom trails; low carbon meals; delivering cooking sessions for our communities with a focus on under-represented groups

14. We have also successfully applied for external funding from organisations including: National Lottery Awards for All (Wales); PAVO's Social Value Forum; Wales Council for Voluntary Action. This funding is to help us deliver: more growing and cooking workshops; more shared celebration meals; orchard management; and volunteer support


Areas of expertise

Partnership & Collaboration

Active Food Citizenship

Tackling Food Poverty

Promoting Healthy Eating

Good Food Procurement

Transforming Local Supply Chains

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