As the year draws to a close once more, we love to reflect on the fantastic achievements of ShefFood and our partners across Sheffield in 2024. Together, we’ve worked to create a food system that’s fairer, healthier, and greener for everyone in our city. With over 100 partners signing up to Sheffield’s Food Charter, we’re building a coalition transforming how food is produced, shared, and celebrated in Sheffield. Here’s a taste of what we’ve achieved this year.
This year, we’ve proudly welcomed our 100th partner to the Sheffield Food Charter. This guiding charter represents our collective commitment to ensuring everyone in Sheffield has access to healthy, sustainable, and culturally appropriate food. It also celebrates food’s power to unite people, boosting the local economy by prioritising local producers and championing resilient practices that reduce waste and emissions. Our partners are as diverse as Sheffield itself: food banks and pantries, independent eateries and retailers, public institutions, farmers, community organisations, and more. Each one plays a vital role in making Sheffield’s food system more inclusive and sustainable. Hitting the 100 mark was on our wish list for 2024, and we’ve made it in the nick of time!
We’ve also made it our mission this year to extend our support of community food provision in the city. This year’s standout project has been our comprehensive Community Food Provision mapping project. Highlighting the unique landscape of support in our city. The full map showcases over 110 locations across the city, including food banks, pantries, community meals and other food access projects. From Stocksbridge to Killamarsh, this map is a vital resource for individuals in need and support workers across the city. This work has included countless interviews, understanding the successes and challenges of running community kitchens, food banks, social eating spaces and more. We’ve been so inspired by all the Sheffield folk who dedicate their time to making food for thousands of people throughout the city. These conversations and data collections have been relayed in many meetings where we find new ways to source food, making sure Sheffield’s food system is as connected as its communities.
All this information has been put to good use for Sheffield folk. We’ve created and distributed a winter guide to what’s open over Xmas and New Year. Work that ensures that no one in Sheffield has to go hungry without knowing where to turn.
In addition, we’ve provided community food provision training to equip local professionals to better support families in need with food access. This has also been part of a broader mission to integrate more closely with support services in Sheffield. At the Early Help Showcase Exhibition in October, we connected with schools, social services, and other organisations to share resources like our food provision map and downloadable community meals leaflets. And we presented many of our findings at this year’s Health Inequalities Forum.
Food is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to supporting vulnerable communities, but it’s a vital one. Without a decent diet, people are at risk of even greater hardship. That’s why we’re committed to integrating our work more closely with Sheffield’s support services, ensuring food is recognised as a cornerstone of health and wellbeing.
We relaunched the Local Food Action Plan (LFAP) for Sheffield in December, building on the version we introduced in 2023. This year’s update reflects the ongoing needs of Sheffield’s diverse communities, thanks to deeper engagement with underrepresented groups. We’ve been inspired by organisations like the Hadfield Institute, which provides food for over 150 families weekly, and the BAMER 5, a collective of organisations championing the needs of Black, Asian, and minority ethnic communities. These groups, including the United Women Affiliation to Dryden Food Pantry, are outstanding examples of how community-led initiatives can create meaningful change. The updated action plan not only celebrates the incredible work already happening but also identifies new opportunities for collaboration, ensuring Sheffield’s food system continues to grow and evolve.
Lastly, we were incredibly proud to attend Sustainable Food Places Day of Celebration and Action 2024 in Westminster this autumn. Along with over 110 other partnerships from across the UK, the event brought together food activists, community organisers, and parliamentarians to celebrate strides toward a more sustainable, fair, and equitable food system. And ShefFood got a big mention with praise for the LFAP.
None of our work in 2024 would be possible without the incredible people who make Sheffield’s food system what it is. From volunteers at community food banks to the bar staff pouring pints of local ale, from public health practitioners to NHS workers, the food system in Sheffield is powered by people. It’s been a privilege to connect with so many individuals and organisations this year, all working towards a common goal: a city where food is a force for good.
As we celebrate the achievements of 2024, we look ahead to the challenges and opportunities of the coming year. With the passion of Sheffield’s food community, anything is possible. Thank you to the volunteers, farmers, chefs, public health workers, and the people of Sheffield for making a difference this year. Together, we have shown that food is not just sustenance; it is a source of connection, resilience, and pride for our city.
From all of us at ShefFood, thank you for being part of the journey so far. Here’s to another year of making Sheffield’s food system fairer, healthier, and greener—one meal, one partnership, and one act of kindness at a time. Thanks for reading, and happy holidays Sheffield!