Primary research question<\/h4>\n\n- What are the most effective ways to embed Fresh Street Community within local food systems in areas of high deprivation?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Secondary research questions<\/h4>\n\n- What are the most effective methods for households to receive and redeem vouchers for locally supplied fruit and vegetables?<\/li>\n
- What is the primary evidence of the impact of the Fresh Street Community on\n
\n- social connection<\/li>\n
- health inequality<\/li>\n
- self-reported dietary behaviours and wellbeing status<\/li>\n
- the availability \u00a0and affordability of fresh produce<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- What is the acceptability of Fresh Street Community by local households , fruit and vegetable vendors, councils and other stakeholders?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
Fresh Street vouchers<\/h2>\n
FS-Health has funded the provision of Fresh Street vouchers to households in both communities.\u00a0 It has also supported the running of an online ordering and bespoke fruit and vegetable stall in Whitleigh, Plymouth and a similar stall in Whitley, Reading engaging with community hubs Four Greens Community Trust<\/a><\/span> and the Salvation Army in Plymouth and Whitley Community Development Association (WCDA<\/span>) in Reading to facilitate these activities.<\/p>\nAt both sites, householders have been able to use their vouchers to purchase fresh produce from local wholesalers TamarFresh<\/a> in Plymouth and C A Belcher & Son in Reading at the community hubs.\u00a0 The ordering system and stalls have also been open for other local residents to use.\u00a0 \u00a0Each of the outlets has also accepted cash\/card payments.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”2260″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” onclick=”img_link_large”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”2259″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” onclick=”img_link_large”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n
Householder engagement<\/h2>\n
The research team have monitored the footfall and voucher redemption rates across both sites and engaged with householders taking part in the study to understand their fruit and veg consumption (number of portions consumed of each) before, during and after the intervention period.<\/p>\n
In addition, householders have undertaken Food and Wellbeing Chats (24 hour recall) and, if they’ve wished,\u00a0 provided hair and urine samples for biomarker assessment which detect the presence of salt, sugars, fruit\/veg, plant or meat based food within their diet.\u00a0 NHS run health checks have been available throughout the study conducted by the NHS MeetPeet team at the community centre in Reading.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/research.reading.ac.uk\/food-systems-equality\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/186\/2025\/03\/Intervention-map-300x158.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
The Fresh Street<\/a> place-based intervention known within this project as ‘Fresh Street Community’ (FSC) has also examined the benefits of social connectivity at the two community hubs through a number of activities including cookery demonstrations, learning about composting and sharing recipe ideas and cooking tips, all within a safe social space environment helping individuals build stronger connections with their neighbours and fellow residents from the local area.<\/p>\nThe intervention ran for nine months (Jan-Sept 2024) in Plymouth and twelve months (Nov23-Nov24) in Reading and is continuing in both locations in the short term with support from FoodSEqual and Reading Borough Council. \u00a0Data collection is completed at both locations and analysis is ongoing.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n
Find out more<\/h2>\n
Further information about the interventions can be found here for Plymouth<\/a> and Reading.<\/a><\/p>\nFoodSEqual-Health Publications & Outputs can be found here.<\/a><\/h3>\nFoodSEqual-Health Webinars<\/a><\/h3>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Secondary research questions<\/h4>\n\n- What are the most effective methods for households to receive and redeem vouchers for locally supplied fruit and vegetables?<\/li>\n
- What is the primary evidence of the impact of the Fresh Street Community on\n
\n- social connection<\/li>\n
- health inequality<\/li>\n
- self-reported dietary behaviours and wellbeing status<\/li>\n
- the availability \u00a0and affordability of fresh produce<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- What is the acceptability of Fresh Street Community by local households , fruit and vegetable vendors, councils and other stakeholders?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
Fresh Street vouchers<\/h2>\n
FS-Health has funded the provision of Fresh Street vouchers to households in both communities.\u00a0 It has also supported the running of an online ordering and bespoke fruit and vegetable stall in Whitleigh, Plymouth and a similar stall in Whitley, Reading engaging with community hubs Four Greens Community Trust<\/a><\/span> and the Salvation Army in Plymouth and Whitley Community Development Association (WCDA<\/span>) in Reading to facilitate these activities.<\/p>\nAt both sites, householders have been able to use their vouchers to purchase fresh produce from local wholesalers TamarFresh<\/a> in Plymouth and C A Belcher & Son in Reading at the community hubs.\u00a0 The ordering system and stalls have also been open for other local residents to use.\u00a0 \u00a0Each of the outlets has also accepted cash\/card payments.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”2260″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” onclick=”img_link_large”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”2259″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” onclick=”img_link_large”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n
Householder engagement<\/h2>\n
The research team have monitored the footfall and voucher redemption rates across both sites and engaged with householders taking part in the study to understand their fruit and veg consumption (number of portions consumed of each) before, during and after the intervention period.<\/p>\n
In addition, householders have undertaken Food and Wellbeing Chats (24 hour recall) and, if they’ve wished,\u00a0 provided hair and urine samples for biomarker assessment which detect the presence of salt, sugars, fruit\/veg, plant or meat based food within their diet.\u00a0 NHS run health checks have been available throughout the study conducted by the NHS MeetPeet team at the community centre in Reading.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Fresh Street<\/a> place-based intervention known within this project as ‘Fresh Street Community’ (FSC) has also examined the benefits of social connectivity at the two community hubs through a number of activities including cookery demonstrations, learning about composting and sharing recipe ideas and cooking tips, all within a safe social space environment helping individuals build stronger connections with their neighbours and fellow residents from the local area.<\/p>\nThe intervention ran for nine months (Jan-Sept 2024) in Plymouth and twelve months (Nov23-Nov24) in Reading and is continuing in both locations in the short term with support from FoodSEqual and Reading Borough Council. \u00a0Data collection is completed at both locations and analysis is ongoing.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n
Find out more<\/h2>\n
Further information about the interventions can be found here for Plymouth<\/a> and Reading.<\/a><\/p>\nFoodSEqual-Health Publications & Outputs can be found here.<\/a><\/h3>\nFoodSEqual-Health Webinars<\/a><\/h3>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
- \n
- social connection<\/li>\n
- health inequality<\/li>\n
- self-reported dietary behaviours and wellbeing status<\/li>\n
- the availability \u00a0and affordability of fresh produce<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- What is the acceptability of Fresh Street Community by local households , fruit and vegetable vendors, councils and other stakeholders?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
Fresh Street vouchers<\/h2>\n
FS-Health has funded the provision of Fresh Street vouchers to households in both communities.\u00a0 It has also supported the running of an online ordering and bespoke fruit and vegetable stall in Whitleigh, Plymouth and a similar stall in Whitley, Reading engaging with community hubs Four Greens Community Trust<\/a><\/span> and the Salvation Army in Plymouth and Whitley Community Development Association (WCDA<\/span>) in Reading to facilitate these activities.<\/p>\n
At both sites, householders have been able to use their vouchers to purchase fresh produce from local wholesalers TamarFresh<\/a> in Plymouth and C A Belcher & Son in Reading at the community hubs.\u00a0 The ordering system and stalls have also been open for other local residents to use.\u00a0 \u00a0Each of the outlets has also accepted cash\/card payments.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”2260″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” onclick=”img_link_large”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”2259″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” onclick=”img_link_large”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n
Householder engagement<\/h2>\n
The research team have monitored the footfall and voucher redemption rates across both sites and engaged with householders taking part in the study to understand their fruit and veg consumption (number of portions consumed of each) before, during and after the intervention period.<\/p>\n
In addition, householders have undertaken Food and Wellbeing Chats (24 hour recall) and, if they’ve wished,\u00a0 provided hair and urine samples for biomarker assessment which detect the presence of salt, sugars, fruit\/veg, plant or meat based food within their diet.\u00a0 NHS run health checks have been available throughout the study conducted by the NHS MeetPeet team at the community centre in Reading.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nThe Fresh Street<\/a> place-based intervention known within this project as ‘Fresh Street Community’ (FSC) has also examined the benefits of social connectivity at the two community hubs through a number of activities including cookery demonstrations, learning about composting and sharing recipe ideas and cooking tips, all within a safe social space environment helping individuals build stronger connections with their neighbours and fellow residents from the local area.<\/p>\n
The intervention ran for nine months (Jan-Sept 2024) in Plymouth and twelve months (Nov23-Nov24) in Reading and is continuing in both locations in the short term with support from FoodSEqual and Reading Borough Council. \u00a0Data collection is completed at both locations and analysis is ongoing.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n
Find out more<\/h2>\n
Further information about the interventions can be found here for Plymouth<\/a> and Reading.<\/a><\/p>\n
FoodSEqual-Health Publications & Outputs can be found here.<\/a><\/h3>\n
FoodSEqual-Health Webinars<\/a><\/h3>\n
[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"