Rotherham residents have begun to benefit from a new community food initiative as the Council partners with Food Works, an established organisation promoting fair, sustainable and affordable food.
Delivered in partnership with Voluntary Action Rotherham (VAR), the programme will roll out over the next two years and aims to increase access to nutritious, low‑cost food while reducing waste.
During the first year of the project, the focus will be on establishing up to 10 “Just Meals” Hubs across Rotherham. These will be run by a range of local partners including voluntary groups, social supermarkets, family hubs, public sector teams and leisure centres.
The Just Meals Hubs offer affordable, frozen ready meals made from quality surplus ingredients, helping residents stretch budgets while cutting food waste.
In the second year, it’s planned for the project to expand and explore:
⦁ A Food Waste Community Café in Rotherham
⦁ Cooking and nutrition classes
⦁ Community food growing initiatives
⦁ Holiday meal provision for children
⦁ Additional unstaffed Just Meals locations
During a recent visit to the Food Works Hub at Rotherham Minster, Rotherham Council Leader, Cllr Chris Read highlighted how important initiatives like Food Works are for supporting residents, tackling food waste and building sustainable community‑led solutions.
Cllr Read said: “It’s great to be able to partner with Food Works, bringing their affordable and sustainable approach to the borough. This builds on the existing support we have in place to our local food banks and social supermarkets to ensure that no one needs to go without food, and that we provide the help, advice and support to ensure we get people back on their own two feet if they’ve fallen into difficulties.”
“The great team at the Minster provide invaluable support to the community, and as I’ve seen for myself help to forge links to local employment, skills and volunteering opportunities.”
The Food Works expansion complements the work of the Rotherham Food Network and the borough’s wider focus on wellbeing and inclusivity.
