Council and communities work together to ensure everyone has access to food

Councillor Joy Aitman, Executive Member for Stronger Healthy Communities, said, “Every person deserves access to nutritious and sustainable food, and we’re delighted to have collaborated with our local communities to cook up a plan that truly prioritises the health and wellbeing of our community. 

“As a district, we are lucky to have a fantastic Community Food Network made up of 14 Larders, Fridges and Foodbanks, all serving and supporting communities across West Oxfordshire. Representatives from these vital initiatives have played a crucial part in shaping our plan, ensuring it meets the specific needs of the communities they work with. 

“Moving forward, we will be working to support residents and give them opportunities based on their needs, such as cooking clubs where they can learn about healthy and sustainable cooking and eating, and also give our young people better access to good, nutritious food through schools. 

“The team behind the Oxfordshire Food Strategy understand the importance of targeting the distinct needs of all our districts across the county, and we believe that this approach will guarantee we make a real difference to those most in need of our support.” 

The Food Action Plan for West Oxfordshire is one of five district-specific action plans developed as part of the Oxfordshire Food Strategy, with Cherwell, South Oxfordshire/Vale of White Horse, and Oxford City councils also developing their own Plans. It reflects the district's needs and priorities, with a focus on local actions deliverable by community providers. 

The Food Action Plan for West Oxfordshire outlines four key priorities to be implemented by West Oxfordshire District Council (WODC). The Council will work with local communities to establish how help can be provided to those unable to access healthy food, with the potential for cooking projects to be rolled out to help tackle food poverty and diet-related health problems in areas most in need. There will also be a focus on developing more shared greenspaces into community allotments to give residents the opportunity to grow and enjoy fresh food. 

In addition to this, the council will look to improve access to healthy food at schools through a ‘Good Food Schools’ programme which will make food growing activities available in local schools that serve communities where food poverty is most prevalent. The programme will also aim to give students the opportunity to learn about healthy and sustainable cooking and eating through food education. 

Collaborating through Oxfordshire’s Food Action Working Group, the Council engaged with local organisations to develop the Plan, including the Witney & West Oxfordshire Food Bank, Oxford Food Hub, Cornerstone, North East Cotswolds Farming Cluster, Abingdon and Witney College, Chippy Larder, and Good Food Oxfordshire. Additionally, 29 community stakeholders were consulted during the formation of the Plan at the West Oxfordshire Food Summit event in September 2023. 

The Plan integrates other key areas of action which will be led at county-level and supported by WODC. The full Plan is available to read here.