Box a Bargain Scheme
Skelmersdale Box a Bargain is a network of community fruit and vegetable schemes which offer local people the opportunity to purchase good quality fresh fruit and vegetables at affordable prices. Two schemes are currently running with the plan of setting up a further 2 over the coming months. The existing schemes operate from a local community centre and children's centre. Gillian Ritchie from SCFI explains more about the scheme.
Project Name: Box a Bargain
Project Start Date: February 2005
Project origins, aims and objectives:
The aim of the scheme is to improve access to fresh fruit and vegetables at a convenient location and at prices which offer good value for money.
Through improved access it is hoped that people's intake of fruit and vegetables are increased to meet the recommended 5 portions a day, with the long term outcome of improved health and wellbeing.
The scheme also offers the opportunity for community capacity building and empowerment through the development, management and delivery of the service by local residents, many of whom are low income households. Users of the scheme are also eligible to attend SCFI cookery demonstrations and ‘cook and eat’ sessions.
Organisations Involved:
The scheme was introduced by Skelmersdale Community Food Initiative (SCFI), one of the Lottery Funded Healthy Living Centres. Having carried out feasibility studies and identified they best way to deliver the service, SCFI work with local volunteers to help set up the service. After an initial 4 week support period the volunteers are then left to manage the service. SCFI are available at any time to offer further advice or support.Produce is purchased from a local fruit and vegetable wholesaler who is extremely familiar with the scheme and how it operates. This supplier has worked very well to understand and assist the volunteers to ensure successfully delivery.
The range of customers varies widely, but a significant number of elderly people and families with young children use the service. Approximately 60 customers use the community centre venue and 100 use the children's centre.
Background:
The initial idea for the project was based on work carried out with the local food co-operative which already existed in the town. It was found that the way in which it existed was not attracting enough customers to provide the benefits of improved access to fresh fruit and vegetables.Having identified a number of significant 'food deserts' in the town via a mapping exercise and taking account of the poor public transport links and low car ownership it was still felt that a service of this type needed to be available.
Given the limited success of the traditional food co-op other alternatives were researched using the internet and site visits. The Box Scheme was identified to be the most suitable, particularly due the lack of wastage and simple way in which it can be delivered.
Having been approached by a number of residents who use a local community centre it was decided that a 4 week pilot would be set up there. This was managed by SCFI but local volunteers carried out the operational aspects of it. During this time training was given with regard to the management of the scheme, as well as food hygiene and, health and safety sessions.
Based on the success of this pilot the volunteers have now taken over the scheme and are in complete control of it. Having heard of its success a number of other community groups contacted SCFI and again following initial needs assessments, SCFI have supported the development of a further scheme.
Methodology:
Individual bags of pre-selected seasonal fruit and vegetables are available at a cost of £2 each. Customers place and pay for their orders a week in advance and then collect them the following week, when the next order is placed. No wastage is therefore experienced. The types of fruit and vegetables vary according to the season.The fruit and vegetables are delivered by the supplier to the community/children’s centre and volunteers pack the orders and store them overnight, ready for collection on the next day.
Evaluation:
Evaluation to date has been limited but an evaluation officer based at SCFI has recently been recruited to identify the outcomes of the scheme.In general, informal feedback from customers has been excellent, with regard to the way in which the schemes are delivered and the quality and price of the produce. New customers are always surprised at the range and quantity of the items they receive.
Volunteers have also provided very positive comments about their involvement with the scheme and the clear input they are having within their local communities. The volunteer commitment has been very good and the majority of volunteers who started with both schemes are still there.
Resources:
Initial funding for the scheme comes from SCFI, who are funded by the Big Lottery and UK Government Single Regeneration Budget. These costs include, publicity, 4-weeks room hire for the venue and general consumables. Following this period, the scheme itself and its volunteers are responsible for building up a small fund which will cover these costs when SCFI leave, and hence the project becomes self financing.The National 5 A Day scheme also donated a number of carrier bags.
Lessons Learned:
Volunteers are key to the success of this scheme. Without undoubted commitment from the start, they should not be set up. A scheme was set up without this level of support and after SCFI left it only continued for a further 2 weeks. Customers were extremely disappointed and the resources provided by SCFI were wasted.Future Developments:
It is expected that a least another 2 schemes will be set up by SCFI prior to January 2008. After initial support from SCFI the schemes are fully self-sustainable by local people.It is also hoped that a recipe book can be developed which will give users ideas of how to cook with the fruit and vegetables, as well as giving healthy eating messages.
Contact Details:
Contact Name: Gillian RitchieAddress:
Skelmersdale Community Food Initiative
Ecumenical Centre
Northway
Skelmersdale
WN8 6PN
Telephone: 01695 720555
Fax: 01695 721181
Email: scfi@btopenworld.com