{"id":1045,"date":"2022-12-01T16:24:00","date_gmt":"2022-12-01T16:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/research.reading.ac.uk\/food-systems-equality\/?p=1045"},"modified":"2022-12-02T15:45:37","modified_gmt":"2022-12-02T15:45:37","slug":"a-visit-to-the-whitley-cda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/research.reading.ac.uk\/food-systems-equality\/a-visit-to-the-whitley-cda\/","title":{"rendered":"A visit to the Whitley CDA"},"content":{"rendered":"

The <\/span>Whitley Community Development Association<\/span><\/a> (Whitley CDA) located in Reading is a charity and one of the four community partners that support the Food Systems Equality<\/a> project [<\/span>FoodSEqual<\/span>] \u2013 \u2018<\/span>Co-production of healthy, sustainable food systems for disadvantaged communities<\/span><\/i>\u2019<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/i>.\u2019<\/span><\/i> It was <\/span><\/i>established in 2013 to work with local people and for local people.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The team led by Dr Trisha Bennett<\/a>, Community Development Coordinator, run a Food Surplus Project<\/a>, working with supermarkets industry partners and other to provide surplus food free to anyone who needs it, an advice shop, cafe, and other services. The community service they provide is vitally important, so it is no wonder they earned the title “the beating heart of Whitley” They are an important contributor in the FoodSEqual project\u2019s \u2018bottom-up approach\u2019 to achieve a more accessible and affordable food supply that allows changes toward a healthier diet.<\/span><\/p>\n

Trisha who has lived in Whitley for over 40 years, said \u201cwhat’s very clear is that people in communities like this,\u2026 it\u2019s not that they don’t understand what’s good for them or what is healthy, but that doesn’t always equate to what’s affordable.\u201d She added that people don\u2019t go into the supermarket thinking what has the most nutritional value? but what they can buy within their budget that will feed their family for that week.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Community research work<\/span><\/h4>\n

The <\/span>FoodSEqual<\/span> project <\/span>is bringing together academic researchers, food industry partners and policy <\/span>makers<\/span> to reimagine food policy, <\/span>products<\/span>,<\/span> and supply chai<\/span>ns<\/span>. <\/span><\/span>Whitl<\/span>ey <\/span>CDA <\/span>has <\/span>recruited and trained some <\/span>locally trusted <\/span>Community Researchers<\/span> (CR)<\/span> who <\/span>care about food, environment, and inequality<\/span>. <\/span>Th<\/span>ey a<\/span>re <\/span>actively involved in the development and running of a series of <\/span>different research <\/span>methods <\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>such<\/span> as questionnaires; focus groups; workshops; to name a few<\/span>, <\/span>engag<\/span>ing <\/span>the local community members in the project<\/span>. <\/span>The <\/span>c<\/span>ommunity members<\/span> are some of the <\/span>people that <\/span>come to the <\/span>caf\u00e9<\/span> and <\/span>use <\/span>the Food Surplus Project service. <\/span>T<\/span>hey<\/span> come to <\/span>the cafe for <\/span>different<\/span>\u00a0reasons<\/span> and b<\/span>ecause<\/span> the<\/span> researchers <\/span>are <\/span>respected and trusted<\/span>, <\/span>the participants are comfortable <\/span>with <\/span>sharing their <\/span>stories, needs<\/span><\/span>,<\/span><\/span><\/span> and wants<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span> Many have already <\/span>pa<\/span>rticipa<\/span>ted<\/span> i<\/span>n <\/span>FoodS<\/span>Equal<\/span> activities such as the workshops and focus group and have <\/span>pr<\/span>ovid<\/span>ed<\/span> v<\/span>aluable<\/span> insights into their <\/span>food aspirations<\/span>. <\/span>Th<\/span>is i<\/span>s <\/span>r<\/span>eally <\/span>helping to steer the project to develop food product<\/span>s <\/span>that align with the d<\/span>esires of the local community<\/span> – <\/span>\u00a0eat more nutritious and affordable <\/span>food <\/span>and to have <\/span>choice<\/span> in what they buy.<\/span> <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One such <\/span>r<\/span>esearcher<\/span>, Kelly<\/span>, is currently a cleaner and has been <\/span>involved in <\/span>FoodSEqual<\/span> for a few months. She has liv<\/span>ed in Whitley her whole life, mentioning that her family \u2018go way back<\/span>.\u2019<\/span> In a conversation with Trisha and some of the <\/span>FoodSEqual<\/span> colleagues, <\/span>s<\/span>he <\/span>mentioned<\/span> a case of <\/span>a man<\/span> who is<\/span> in his sixties <\/span>and <\/span>attended one of the focus groups<\/span>.<\/span> He <\/span>has a learning disability<\/span> and <\/span>usually <\/span>come<\/span>s<\/span> to the caf\u00e9 for breakfast<\/span>. Kelly was concerned about what he eats for the rest of the day, so she asked him and his reply was that due to his medication, he sleeps most of the day, however for dinner he might have bread, cheese, or a takeaway. After asking if he had a microwave<\/span> and a cooker, she<\/span> g<\/span>ot <\/span>him some microwave meals<\/span> and other food that he can cook on the stove. <\/span>He<\/span> has even <\/span>attempted<\/span> suicide<\/span>, but the caf\u00e9 keeps him going. There he is <\/span>valued; he can <\/span>openly<\/span> tell the researchers what is going on <\/span>and the researchers <\/span>learn from listening to him. If it was with<\/span> a stranger, he can put on a front. <\/span>He gets one phone call a week from the care worker<\/span> and with no other family support nearby. Kelly helps him and others like him more regularly <\/span>not just with food, but a<\/span>lso his washing and ironing. <\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Trisha added that they have quite a few older adults with a mild learning disability who <\/span>do not<\/span> meet any <\/span>threshold for additional support. <\/span>They tend to be forgotten about, as already <\/span>stretched<\/span> resources and services are <\/span>prioritised<\/span> by those most in need<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Focus group attendee to community researcher<\/span><\/h4>\n

Emily, who started out as a focus group attendee, decided become<\/span> a Community Researcher to be more involved<\/span> in the project. In her words she \u2018wanted to know where the questions were coming from.’ What excites her about being a CR is being involved in a product that directly affects her. She describes herself as a low-income family who struggles to provide nutritious food for her children that is good value, that her children would want to eat, plus, not the same thing every day. She is also happy that the focus groups are quite diverse, ensuring as much as possible that various families and individual situations are represented. Over the summer holidays she ran an activity called \u2018Tasty Tuesdays\u2019 which was a way for children to get excited about trying new food, which was successful. She pointed out a running theme at the centre which is that parents really want their children to eat healthier, but they did not necessarily know how to prepare those kinds of meals, that there are areas in this community where some guidance is needed, herself included.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Emily hopes that in the end, the people that come into the caf\u00e9 with these problems feel a little more comfortable in their everyday food lives. To turn food from being a negative, due to fear, money, preparation, fussy kids etc into an enjoyable experience again. Additionally, have avenues for people to access and enjoy better quality food that more affordable, and overall, healthy food relationships. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To conclude with a quote from Trisha \u201cWe’re educating every day, having conversations.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Whitley Community Development Association (Whitley CDA) located in Reading is a charity and one of the four community partners that support the Food Systems Equality project [FoodSEqual] \u2013 \u2018Co-production…Read More ><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":683,"featured_media":1046,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"__cvm_playback_settings":[],"__cvm_video_id":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9,8],"tags":[53,46,54,52],"coauthors":[26],"class_list":["post-1045","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-news","tag-cda","tag-community","tag-research","tag-whitley"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\nA visit to the Whitley CDA - 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