Central Bedfordshire Council news and press releases

Partnerships take centre stage at summit to shape the future of food fairness

Friday, 13 March 2026

Central Bedfordshire Council hosts Food Summit with partners to strengthen food fairness and improve access to healthy, affordable food.

Central Bedfordshire Council’s Public Health team has hosted its second Food Summit, in collaboration with UK-based charity Food Matters, bringing together partners to help define the next chapter of food fairness in the area.

The summit welcomed representatives from voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations, local producers, community groups and public sector partners. The event focused on strengthening partnership working to ensure all residents can access healthy, affordable and sustainable food.

Rising demand for food banks and support services in Central Bedfordshire, alongside the increased cost of living many residents are facing, means it is becoming harder for people to afford a healthy diet. This can have a significant impact on people’s health and wellbeing, highlighting the importance of partners working together to improve access to affordable, nutritious food.

The summit provided an opportunity for organisations from across Central Bedfordshire to share their experiences and discuss how they can continue working in partnership to support residents and improve access to healthy, affordable food.

Attendees also heard about the council’s Food Fairness Grant Scheme, which was created following the first Food Summit in 2024 to support local organisations to improve access to healthy, affordable food. Funded organisations shared their experiences, including:

• Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity (Beds RCC), which is delivering a project to connect neighbours and strengthen communities through food growing
• Groundwork East, which is delivering projects that help residents improve their health and wellbeing through food growing, cooking and education
• Open Doors Health Hub, which supports disadvantaged residents with fresh food, nutrition education and wellbeing activities
• Biggleswade Community Gardens, which helps local people gain skills, confidence and access to fresh produce

Individuals and organisations were also encouraged to sign the area’s Food Fairness Pledge, demonstrating their commitment to building a fairer, more sustainable local food system.

Councillor Mark Smith, our Executive Member for Public Health, said:

We know some people are finding it harder to afford healthy food, and events like this are an important opportunity for organisations to connect. No single organisation can solve food poverty alone, but by working together with our voluntary sector, community groups, local producers and residents, we can make a lasting difference.

It was encouraging to hear from organisations about the difference their work is making locally. The ideas and experiences shared at the summit will help shape the next phase of our Food Fairness work and how we continue working with partners to support residents.

Insights gathered from the summit will contribute to a report and recommendations, helping to shape how Food Fairness work is delivered in Central Bedfordshire, including future priorities and investment.