UK: Community initiatives improve diet and health in Scotland

Scotland has one of the worst records for diet and health in Western Europe. But it also has a good record of community projects working in deprived communities. There are an estimated 300 community food initiatives all over Scotland, from the remote islands to the big cities, that aim to tackle inequalities in health and diet in many different ways: community cafes, breakfast clubs, cooking classes etc. The new guide, called ?Minding their own Business? and put together by the Scottish Community Diet Project, is designed to help new and existing community food initiatives to become more effective and sustainable. The practical guide is divided into three main sections ? Thinking, Learning and Doing ? and contains case studies of some of Scotland?s most successful community food projects. The main obstacles being addressed by community food initiatives working in deprived areas are ? Availability ? increasing access to fruit and vegetables of an acceptable quality and cost, ? Affordability ? tackling not only the cost of shopping, but also of getting to the shops, ? Skills ? improving confidence and skills in cooking and shopping, ? Culture ? overcoming ingrained habits. www.dietproject.org