Sustain • Bridging the Gap • Six approaches to Bridge the Gap
Advocating for voucher schemes and fruit and veg on prescription
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Healthy Start is an NHS scheme that helps women who are pregnant or have young children and are receiving benefits, buy foods such as milk or fruit and veg. Programme partners, Alexandra Rose Charity (ARC) provide Rose Vouchers to families, with a wider eligibility criterion than Healthy Start.
These kinds of voucher schemes help young families access more fresh fruit and vegetables but with a relatively low value, and rising food prices, they do not really enable purchase of organic fruit and vegetables.
Adapting and extending a government financial incentive schemes, such as Healthy Start, to increase the value for purchasing organic fruit and vegetables from local suppliers might be one route to increasing access.
Included in this theme are other voucher-based approaches, such as a fruit and veg on prescription trial that ARC are involved in, based at the Bromley by Bow Healthy Living centre, funded by Tower Hamlets Council. Vouchers are given to participants identified by NHS-funded social prescribing staff and could provide a key opportunity for those on lower incomes to receive access to organic veg.
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Bridging the Gap: Bridging the Gap to climate and nature friendly food for all.
