Over the past five years, a new form of dignified food aid has taken root in communities across the UK—Affordable Food Clubs. These projects, which include pantries, social supermarkets and larders, offer households at risk of hunger access to low-cost, nutritious food. Feeding Britain’s network includes nearly 400 such projects, collectively supporting 91,000 households.
Today, Feeding Britain is proud to publish our new report, Feeding Hope: The Impact of Affordable Food Clubs on Nutrition and Wellbeing. This report is the first comprehensive research of its kind to measure the experiences of members using Affordable Food Clubs across the UK. Based on insights from nearly 2,500 members of Affordable Food Clubs, surveyed during the summer of 2024, the report captures the impact of affordable food provision on the people who use them—and the findings are striking.
Affordable Food Club members reported meaningful improvements to their lives, health, nutrition and finances as a result of these projects. 98% report that, since accessing an affordable food club, they can afford to eat more balanced meals. Three-quarters of members have increased their intake of fresh fruits and vegetables, and 71% are cooking more meals at home. Having also accessed a wider range of services, taken part in a larger number of activities, and saved money on essential items, 74% tell us that their wellbeing has improved.
Our research has found that 98% of Affordable Food Club members can access affordable fruit and vegetables as a result of using this service
Our report also highlights evidence suggesting that Affordable Food Clubs may help some households avoid turning to food banks, or provide a pathway away from food bank dependency.
These outcomes are especially significant during a time of rising living costs and ongoing economic challenges. Affordable Food Clubs have demonstrated a clear ability to make a lasting and meaningful impact on people’s diets, while busting some of the limits that poverty has so cruelly imposed on their lives.
When I first began researching food poverty, it became clear that Affordable Food Clubs could offer a flexible, dignified, and effective way to support those in need. Now, this report provides solid evidence to back that realisation. We hope that policymakers and practitioners will find it a valuable resource as they work to make healthy, affordable food more accessible to those with the least in our society
– Baroness Boycott, Chair of Feeding Britain