Local food networks

Bognor Regis is a place full of heart and a strong sense of community seen through the individuals and grassroots projects that have been set up to support people that need it and bring people together. Priorities in this group include how to best support each other and share much-needed but limited resources such as food, transport and storage, and how to ensure that groups working outside of the town centre have access to what they need to support these neighbourhoods.

One of the biggest achievements from this network has been holding an intergenerational community meal cooked by local CIC FED for 100 local people in the town, bringing together families with children with older people through our partnership with Age UK and Family Support Work.

A long-term goal would be to create a shared storage and distribution hub to more efficiently serve the local community and take pressure off individuals and groups.

If you are interested in hearing more about this network, please contact Beth on hello@arunchifood.org.uk

Covering Southbourne, Westbourne, Nutbourne, Fishbourne, Thorney Island and Hambrook.

This area between Chichester and the Hampshire border has its challenges, with limited access to affordable fresh food and local services. The new free Bourne Bus Timetable helps people who are able to travel during the day on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays to Havant or Chichester.

The new local group has identified increasing the awareness of and access to advice services as a priority need in the local area, to improve incomes and avoid debt, alongside increasing community growing and other issues.

If you are interested in hearing more about this network, please contact Regi on hello@arunchifood.org.uk

Chichester city has a wealth of independent food businesses, free or low-cost food projects and a food bank which serves the city and district.

UKHarvest runs multiple community hubs in Chichester which, for a small donation, enable residents to choose a bag of fresh and long-life food that would otherwise go to waste. The strong faith-based communities provide free meals and support for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, alongside the charity Stonepillow. This network helped bring a community food hub to the underserved Whyke area.  The local group is currently looking at increasing community cookery skills.

If you are interested in hearing more about the Chichester City network, please contact Regi at hello@arunchifood.org.uk

In summer 2022 we brought together a large group of local community leaders and local authority representatives to discuss all things food in Littlehampton and they agreed to meet once a quarter and set up a WhatsApp group to share information and resources in between meetings. There are some fantastic initiatives in place in Littlehampton such as the Community Fridge and Creative Heart Community Café, as well as committed individuals supporting people through food parcels, free meals and parent groups. One of the focusses in Littlehampton has been exploring how to increase participation in community food growing, partnering with a local Primary Care Network Link Worker team to provide green social prescribing for residents to boost wellbeing in areas with high rates of health inequalities.

If you are interested in hearing more about the community growing work or this network, please contact Beth at hello@arunchifood.org.uk

Petworth and NE Chichester is a largely affluent area, with high housing costs, a number of second homes, limited public transport and limited employment for those without cars. Population density is generally low. Local shops cater well for those with larger food budgets, but options are very limited for those with small food budgets and there are few free or low-cost food projects. Availability of social housing leads to people being moved from urban areas, but local services are more limited than in urban areas.

Nevertheless, the community has some impressive social assets, including Petworth Community Garden and the Sylvia Beaufoy Youth Centre, and the new Book a Bus scheme will be of help. The local group has identified cookery skills on a budget and helping families with children as priorities. The group held two free “Good Food Days” in October 2022 and February 2023 for families with children, including cookery demonstrations, free slow cookers, consultation, cookery tips, child activities, a shared meal, signposting and more. We are planning two further Good Food Days for October 2023 and January 2024.

If you are interested in hearing more about this network, please contact Regi on hello@arunchifood.org.uk

We coordinate a rapidly growing network of people who are running community growing spaces or who are interested in setting one up. Whether your interest is a community orchard, community allotment, community garden, a space at your charity or in your community, large or small, you are welcome to join this group. 

 We share information, learn from each other and are inspired by community growing spaces. We meet every month or two, in person at a growing space or online. 

If you are involved in a growing project or thinking of setting one up, please email us at hello@arunchifood.org.uk for details of how to join the network.