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Principles met

  • Learning

    We will capture and ‘expand’ the experience and learning from individual projects and approaches in order to encourage broader application of co-operative principles within individual member Councils and across the Network.

  • New models of meeting priority needs

    In exploring new ways of meeting the priority needs of our communities we will encourage models, such as co-operatives and mutuals, which give greater influence and voice to staff and users. in designing and commissioning public services and in determining the use of public resources.

What is Real Food Wythenshawe?

Real Food Wythenshawe’s motto is “grow it, cook it, eat it”. The project offers food-based activities across Wythenshawe, structured around 3 key themes: growing, cooking, and learning.

In the first phase of Real Food Wythenshawe (2013-2018), there were 5 main projects:

  • The Geodome Educational space at Manchester College Wythenshawe Campus launched in 2016. Demonstrating aquaponic and hydroponic methods of sustainable farming, and encouraging people to grow their own food and eat seasonally.
  • Green Spaces to Growing Spaces Encouraging people to grow food in their own gardens. Also identifying unused open/green land that could be used to grow food.
  • Mapping and Harvesting Abundance Working with Abundance Manchester to map, harvest, and preserve produce from allotments and orchards. Aim is to make the best use of surplus food from these growing projects.
  • Wythenshawe Park Walled Garden and Farm Provide a hub for community growing and training. Produce grown is sold in the Farm shop.
  • Cooking and Eating Sustainably Cooking demonstrations at a pop-up cooking shop in Wythenshawe Market.

The RFW project is currently in its second phase (2018-21). There are currently 3 key projects:

  • The Green Doctor Gardening as social prescribing.
  • Cooking with Confidence Twice a week at Wythenshawe Indoor Market Food Hall, giving out free food samples and recipe cards. Once a week running cookery classes.
  • Real Food on Tour Promoting the work of RWF in the community by delivering practical food activities to voluntary and community organisations.

What does Real Food Wythenshawe aim to achieve?

Real Food Wythenshawe aims to change people’s behaviour, so that they live healthier and more sustainable lives. Through Real Food Wythenshawe, people can learn how to grow and cook their own food. As well as developing people’s skills, the project improves wellbeing through “nature based activities”. Additionally, the project aims to help people save money, and to learn and share their food skills.

Through their work, Real Food Wythenshawe has identified a need to address food poverty. Although this didn’t form part of the original project scope, Real Food Wythenshawe have actively sought to weave in ways of addressing this need through their work.

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