I4P in collaboration with the Faculty of Health and Social Care and Can Cook hosted a very successful public event on 14th March 2018 to discuss the urgent need to address food poverty in the UK. One hundred and eighteen delegates from a range of organisations including higher education institutes; local councils; housing associations; food banks and other food aid services attended the event to listen to, and contribute to discussions on how to avoid the institutionalisation of food aid in the UK.

Speakers at the event included Rosie Oglesby, Director of Feeding Britain who described the work undertaken by all sectors of society to tackle food poverty. Professor Martin Caraher, Professor of Health and Food Policy at UCL discussed the vital need to change policy in the UK to overcome the barriers that result in food poverty. Susannah Brooks, Operations Manager of the Trussel Trust, outlined the scale of food poverty in the UK and Robbie Davison, CEO of Can Cook presented an innovative and dynamic strategy to change the narrative of food poverty in the UK.

A lively panel discussion held at the end of the guest talks highlighted the resolve of all those involved in every facet of food poverty to work together to change the story of food poverty in the UK.

Dr Kathleen Mooney is a Senior Lecturer, Applied Health & Social Care at Edge Hill University.