1. Calum Irving
Head of Campaigns and Advocacy
Engaging Communities
g g g
with the food environment

2. Our Life’s
Life s
role
• Campaigning social
enterprise
ente p ise
• Tackling the barriers to
wellbeing and health
• Supported by PCTs and NHS
North West
• Public health evidence
and public concern

3. Why an engagement
based approach?
b d h?
• Alcohol vs. food
• Clarity around alcohol harm: price and availability
• Food: vast, complex and focus unclear
vast
• where to start?
• Public health evidence and political decisions
• Citizen disconnect from public policy
•CCommunity engagement: on whose terms?
it t h t ?

4. Why an engagement based
approach?
cartoonist: Kate
Charlesworth.
Charlesworth Taken from
‘Teach yourself Citizens
Juries’ PEALS, University
of Newcastle

5. Deliberative
Delibe ati e engagement
• Time and space
• Educative
• Citizens
Citizens’ juries
• Opportunity to question “experts”
• Citizen lead

6. Talking Food’s fo mat
format
• North West communities; deprivation characteristics
• Good local partners; eg. Healthy Living Centre / PCT in
Ellesmere Port: recruitment, hosting and local action
• Oversight Panel; guide debate, balance, able to
identify commentators, advocate for changes
de t y co e tato s, ad ocate o c a ges
• Stakeholder group; Our Life’s colleagues in public
services with a close interest in process and outcome
• Project partner; Heart of Mersey

7. Talking Food’s fo mat
format
The Oversight Panel;
•P f
Professor Simon Capewell, Professor of Clinical E id i l
Si C ll P f f Cli i l Epidemiology,
University of Liverpool
• Abdul Mulla, Manager, Blackburn with Darwen Healthy Living Centre
• Ad
Adam B i
Briggs, S i P li Ad i
Senior Policy Adviser, N ti
National F
l Farmers U i
Union
• Angela Towers, Regional Co-ordinator, Food Standards Agency
• Charlie Clutterbuck, Hon Research Fellow, Centre for Food Policy /
City University and Trustee of the Food Ethics Council
• Gordon Jones, Senior Farming and Food Adviser, Defra
• Helen Rimmer, North West Regional Organiser, Friends of the Earth
• Matt Fryer, Strategy and Investment Manager, Food North West
Fryer Manager
• Michel Pimbert, Leader, Food and Agriculture, International Institute
for Environment and Development
• Chris Pattino, Manager, Hospitality and Stadium Services, Halton
Borough Council
• Robin Ireland, Chief Executive, Heart of Mersey
• Sheila Dillon, Presenter, The Food Programme, BBC Radio 4
, , g ,

8. Talking Food’s fo mat
format
• What makes it difficult to get
healthier food?
h lh f d
• Discussing barriers
• mapping food establishments
• reflecting on own challenges
• Barriers identified
• Become topics for subsequent 6 – 7 weeks
• We arrange commentators based on those barriers

9. Take-aways
Take a a s
• Important where prevalent
• Hi h concern
High
• Blackburn, Cleator Moor and Oldham
• Commentators; Nicola Evans and Professor Jack Winkler
and planning officers in Cleator Moor (Copeland Council)
“street research”
Oldham young
people and Prof
Winkler
i kl

10. Take-aways
Take a a s
• Extensive questioning!
qu o g “We counted 21 fast
• Nutrition food outlets in less
• Regulation of supply than a mile and a half
in Cleator Moor.
• Advertising
When do you say
enough is enough?
• Recommendations in each inquiry (Blackburn);
“Takeaways need t b policed f quality. Health.
“T k d to be li d for lit H lth
Content e.g. salt, fat”
“Local authorities use their powers to limit number
of take-aways from area to area. Advertising.
Junk mail.”

11. An informed view
info med ie
• Sensible measured, feasible
Sensible, meas ed
• Authentic and democratic
• Things we wouldn’t think of
• Local action; food co-ops, community growing and
take-aways
• Campaign weekend; 12th – 13th March
• Wider scale actions;
• Take-aways • School education: cooking
• Junk food advertising • Community education: cooking

12. Where ne t?
Whe e next?
• Campaign weekend: vision for a healthier food
eekend ision fo healthie
system with 4 major topics
• Guides Our Life’s campaign work
• Exploring with stakeholders; Heart of Mersey
p g y
• Links with other campaigns and organisations
• Take-aways key: regulatory and nutritional
• Investigating additional funding
• More deliberative work: recent alcohol commission