Winter 2025 Newsletter

Wow – what a month October was! There was so much going on across the county that no-one could possibly have gone to everything! Local projects took part in promoting sustainable, nutritious produce and celebrating diverse food cultures. Here’s a few highlights to whet your appetite and entice you to take part in October 2026:

• Pickling produce, pressing apples, foraging, bakers at work, Seaside Hub’s Pumpkin Party and Langney Community Centre’s spooky Halloween Party were just some of the amazing events that happened.
• Farmer’s Markets galore displaying and selling local produce.
• There were harvest festivals to celebrate the end of the harvesting (depending on which food you grow!) including Fitzjohn’s Harvest Festival in Lewes.

Lots of good fun and good food was had. Thank you to everyone who made it such a successful Good Food East Sussex Month. Watch the press for details of next year’s event! Keeping up with events across the county all year round is now easier on the new look website. We’re open to your ideas for making next year even more successful!

The Twinning project is underway! After hosting workshops with schools and farms — including a popular twinning session on 1 October at the Towner Gallery in Eastbourne — we’re excited to launch the Twinning Project. This pilot scheme has twinned 10 schools and farms across Wealden, Rother, Lewes and Eastbourne with the aim of developing long term relationships.

The Twinning Project aims to create strong, lasting links between schools and farms. Helping children learn where food comes from, what local farms do, and what produce is available nearby. The project also promotes wellbeing by encouraging outdoor activities and physical exercise, while giving schools access to fresh, high-quality produce. In addition, it opens opportunities for farms to supply food for school meals, breakfast clubs, and after-school clubs, exploring healthier and more sustainable options.

Twinned farms and schools have devised activities based on the curriculum and what the farm can offer. These already include some fabulous activities including:

• Planting & Rewilding
• Tasting different foods
• Planting apple trees
• Making apple juice
• Getting involved in and understanding the milking process
• Learning how to make yoghurt
• Learning about different crops
• Worm measuring and why it is important

The University of Sussex shared insights from a similar large-scale project in the U.S., including how impact was measured. We are now working with them to develop a monitoring and evaluation framework to gather data, create case studies, and share findings — with the goal of expanding the project across the county.

To find out more about the Twinning Project please visit Wealden Food Partnership | Building a Better Local Food System or email helen.graham@communityactioneastsussex.org.uk

Jess Holliday, Chief Executive of Eastbourne Foodbank, kindly gave up her time to be interviewed by Jayne Barrett, Project Officer – Good Food East Sussex. What came out of that conversation was a powerful reminder of what can happen when a community pulls together: hope, dignity, and practical support for those who need it most.

Eastbourne Foodbank is about far more than food parcels. It’s about supporting people through challenging circumstances and giving them the tools and confidence to move forward. By working closely with organisations like Change, Grow, Live (CGL), the probation service, Family Hubs, mental health services, and One You East Sussex, the foodbank connects people to the right support at the right time. It’s about building trust and creating a network of care.

Breaking the Myths

One common misconception is that people use foodbanks because they can’t budget. The truth? Many simply can’t afford enough food, no matter how carefully they plan. Support is offered for a short time, and while no one in genuine need is turned away, the aim is always to help people find new ways forward—with kindness and dignity.

More Than Food: Building Community

Eastbourne Foodbank offers so much more than emergency parcels. They create opportunities for connection and practical support through:

• Benefits and debt advice to help people access what they’re entitled to
• Baby Basics Service – reusing baby equipment safely for new parents
• Cooking groups – sharing recipes, friendship, and confidence
• Pet food provision – so families don’t have to choose between feeding themselves or their pets
• Consultation groups – giving foodbank users a voice in shaping services

Why This Matters

The need for foodbanks is growing because of rising living costs, changes to benefits, and low wages. In Eastbourne, 20% of children live in poverty, and four areas rank among the top 10% most deprived in the UK. Behind every statistic is a person with a story—someone who never imagined they’d need help.

How We Can Help

The ultimate goal is a future where foodbanks aren’t needed. Until then, we can all make a difference:

• Donate food (protein items like canned meat and pies are most needed)
• Volunteer your time
• Give baby equipment you no longer need

Download the BankTheFood – Apps on Google Play to see what your local foodbank needs.

Stories of Hope

Jess shared a story that truly shows the difference this work makes:

An older couple found themselves in a difficult situation—they really needed food, but the wife couldn’t bear the thought of asking for help. Her husband came forward instead. Through talking with him, the foodbank team discovered they weren’t receiving the benefits they were entitled to. With support, they sorted this out, easing some of the pressure.

But the story didn’t end there. The gentleman joined one of the foodbank’s cooking groups, where he learned new skills, shared recipes, and made friends. When he no longer needed foodbank support, he decided to give back—becoming a volunteer to help others facing similar challenges. His journey from needing help to helping others is a powerful example of hope and community in action.

If you don’t live in Eastbourne, find your local foodbank via Food | East Sussex County Council

On 5 November, the East Sussex Food Partnerships were represented at Westminster. The visit highlighted how collaboration takes place with local authorities, community organisations, businesses, and residents to deliver innovative projects. These initiatives focus on improving access to healthy, sustainable food, strengthening local supply chains, and celebrating East Sussex’s unique food identity.

The visit offered a chance to learn from inspiring initiatives from across the UK and connect with the passionate individuals behind them. MPs Olivia Blake (Sheffield Hallam) and Ann Davies (Caerfyrddin) shared valuable perspectives on the food-related challenges and opportunities in their constituencies, underscoring the importance of keeping food on the political agenda and the difference our politicians can make. Eastbourne Food Partnership directors also met with Eastbourne MP Josh Babarinde OBE to discuss the specific hurdles facing community food projects in our area and explored ways to further enhance support for local food access.

We’re deeply thankful to Sustainable Food Places for involving us in a national conversation with so many committed changemakers.

Wealden Food Partnership is currently working with partners across East Sussex in planning the next Connecting Local Buyers & Suppliers event which will take place on Thursday 19^th March 2026. This event will run in partnership with Long Man Brewery and will replace the postponed event that had been planned for October. It will take place at the Long Man Brewery site, Church Farm, Litlington, from 10am-midday followed by a networking lunch.

The event will include stalls and information about local growers and producers, including the opportunity to sample produce, and will include a free lunch provided by local producers.

There will also be some interesting talks from Plumpton College, Sussex Six, The Alliance of Sussex Food Partnerships and FareShare, along with hearing directly from some of our local producers, growers and farmers.

The main aim of these events is to support local businesses to shorten routes to market and enable more locally grown and produced food to enter local markets through retailers, restaurants, farm shops, pubs and other businesses.

There is a Directory that runs alongside these events which can be viewed here: Good-Food-East-Sussex-Supplier-and-Buyer-Directory-Autumn-2024.pdf

To find out more about the Buyers & Suppliers Events please visit Wealden Food Partnership | Building a Better Local Food System or email helen.graham@communityactioneastsussex.org.uk

Rother Food Partnership was delighted to join the first Taste of Ticehurst event on Sunday, 19 October. Local businesses were offered free stalls, and the event drew a great crowd eager to taste, try, and chat with Ticehurst producers. During the event, Tessa Hart, Rother Food Partnership Coordinator, spoke with Dr Xand van Tulleken about why food partnerships matter, the value of spaces for local suppliers to connect with the community, and the vital role of farmers and producers in the region.