The government’s initiative will see £10 million invested in helping put “good food within reach” for people living in 45 of England’s most deprived communities.
Designed to help improve access to healthy, affordable food, payments of around £222,000 will be shared among 45 local authorities identified as having the greatest levels of deprivation and childhood obesity.
The Good Food Neighbourhoods programme has been earmarked to support community food shops, mobile greengrocers, lunch clubs, community kitchens, and cooking and nutrition programmes. It will also help local authorities strengthen their capacity to plan for and meet local food needs.
Downing Street says the investment was prompted by alarming figures showing that around 9% of people lived in food-insecure households in 2024/25.
The intervention forms part of a wider plan of action by the government to tackle cost-of-living pressures for British families.
Good Food Neighbourhoods was developed following the work of the Citizen’s Advisory Council and conversations with civil society organisations.
The programme will also work with businesses, charities and philanthropic organisations to build on existing community projects, reach more people and bring additional funding into local areas.
