Food chain project is 'win-win' on all levels

A £150,000 fund will help Oldhamers learn more about healthy cooking, community growing and environmental education as the borough takes part in a Europe-wide project.

A £150,000 fund will help Oldhamers learn more about healthy cooking, community growing and environmental education, as the borough takes part in a Europe-wide project.

Oldham Council secured the funding for participating in Food Chains 4 EU, a project funded by the European Regional Development Fund and focussed on creating environmentally sustainable food chains.

It aims to support innovation through community growing, cooking and marketing locally produced food, reducing food miles and redistributing surplus food

Oldham, working with Manchester Metropolitan University and partners from the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Italy and Romania, hopes the funding will support groups and businesses who provide local food for residents.

Oldham Food Network, whose members have already helped communities around growing, cooking, healthy eating and education, will be closely involved in the project.

Councillor Barbara Brownridge, Oldham Council cabinet member for neighbourhoods and cooperatives, said: "Members of Oldham Food Network do a fantastic job of inspiring communities to grow, cook, educate and share food. We're now hoping this project will take that work one step further.

"We all know that it's common sense to eat locally grown food, but the commercial nature and the convenient focus of our eating habits can get in the way of that.

"Our hope is this project will make a difference to that, giving local food producers and growers an opportunity to sell their products locally and allowing local residents the opportunity to enjoy that food, reduce food miles and eat more healthily."

Councillor Abdul Jabbar, deputy leader of Oldham Council, who led on securing the funding, said: "It's a win-win and won't cut into our budget for core services."