Seven community groups have been awarded between £550 and £2,000 for their work within the good food movement.

This year’s applicants showed how they work within their community to promote food, provenance, sustainability and community cohesion. Successful applicants showed how their projects are delivered in Monmouthshire and are led by the community through collaborations with local food businesses/producers.

All seven will now work on their projects with the aid of the grant and supported by Monmouthshire Food Partnership. The grants were funded through the Welsh Government and Welsh Local Government Association.

The seven successful projects were:

• Gateway Centre, Abergavenny – Community café.
• Goytre Community Garden – Beekeeping equipment and training.
• Llantilio Pertholey PFTA – Accessible, intergenerational school vegetable garden.
• Usk Together for the Climate – Community vegetable garden and produce share, with educational activities.
• Pelham Village Hall – Community supper club.
• Building Bridges – ‘Nourishing Diversity’ whole-system food education.
• Bridge Church, Chepstow – Lad’s Lunch Club.

Monmouthshire Food Partnership is a county-wide collaboration of people and organisations from all walks of life who think food is worth taking seriously. Together, it’s working to create a thriving, ethical and sustainable food system within the county and beyond. Monmouthshire Food Partnership aims to:

• Connect people, projects and partners trying to create a sustainable local food system.
• Take collective action to shape the local food system.
• Be a collective voice for food that positively shapes policy and shares best practices.

Monmouthshire County Council Leader, Cllr Mary Ann Brocklesby, said: “The standard of all applicants showed the fantastic work going on in our local communities here in Monmouthshire. Congratulations to all successful applicants. I look forward to seeing how you develop these projects.

“With the current Climate Crisis, we all need to play our part in creating a local food chain that can lower the milage our food travels. Here in Monmouthshire, the Monmouthshire Food Partnership can help advise and support local businesses or community groups. If you’re a business or local group, I’d urge you to contact the team to find out how they could support you.”

If anyone wants to learn more about future projects, events or funding opportunities, they can sign up for Monmouthshire Food Partnership’s mailing list by emailing food@monmouthshire.gov.uk.