FRUIT & VEGETABLE scheme FOR FAMILIES
With my work for Happy Little Eaters and helping parents manage their kids' fussy eating and getting them to eat more variety, I have a side project that helps families on Universal Credit get regular access to fruit and vegetables.
Families (with children of any age in the home) can visit their local greengrocer's in Leighton Buzzard town (Bedforshire, UK) and get £10 worth of fruit and vegetables weekly.
I work with Leighton Buzzard Children’s Centre who help me find me these families that need that little extra support.
This project started early 2023 and was funded by me selling apple juice using unwanted apples in people's gardens and 2024 is being funded by a local Charitable Trust.
What I love about this project is not only is it helping struggling families add extra fresh produce to their diets, it is benefiting an independent business by increasing their income (the greengrocer), bringing more people into the town and hopefully gaining a sense of community whilst getting to know other families on the scheme.
Start them young
Here is some recent feedback from families on this scheme:
I use the veg scheme every week and it has really helped my family get more fresh fruit and veg in our diets. It also helps us as a family of four (2 young children) with our food bills. My daughters love fresh fruit and if it wasn’t for this scheme they wouldn’t be able to have a lot. So grateful for this!
This has really helped us out - £10 is surprisingly a lot of fruit and veg and has helped my boys keep healthy.
If we didn’t have the £10 we would likely have to get very cheap veg and then the girls would not eat it. A Tesco value carrot is technically a carrot, but doesn’t taste like it! We’re trying to promote healthy eating in their future and being involved in the process really helps.
I would find life alot harder without it. (Also the guinea pig enjoys the leaves which would normally go in the food waste! Bonus!)
If you’d like to donate, please visit my Just Giving page
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Meet Geoff.
He is the owner of R Harris & Sons in Leighton Buzzard who I am working with to deliver fruit and veg to families-in-need each week. I give him the list of families who are eligible for this scheme, he ticks their name off, they leave with delicious fruit and veg each week. Families have access to fresh produce, parents get out of the house and feel involved in their community and a local business also profits too - I consider that a win-win-win!
Grace
What some families have been making with their weekly fruit & veg vouchers….
