Liverpool welcomes Rose Vouchers fruit and veg scheme

The vouchers were set up by Sustain member the Alexandra Rose charity in 2014 and already operate in three London boroughs. Through funding from the Big Lottery Fund and Esmée Fairbairn the project is now expanding to Liverpool.

The project works with local children’s centres to identify families who could benefit from the scheme. The vouchers are worth £3 per child (or double if the child is under one year of age) and can only be redeemed for fresh fruit & veg from participating retailers.

In Liverpool the scheme is working with local community interest company ‘U R What U Eat’ who run fresh fruit & veg stalls in Liverpool’s hospitals. They also run mobile fruit & veg buses that visit areas of the city where easy access to fresh healthy food might be a problem.

 

Jonathan Pauling, Chief Executive of Alexandra Rose Charity Liverpool explained the benefits of the scheme:

“It’s all about early intervention - preventing diet related health problems and supporting children from the youngest age to enjoy a healthy life. Children’s Centres benefit by making contact with families and the money goes directly into the pockets of independent retailers – supporting a healthy, local, food economy. Above all, children get access to healthy food which parents might otherwise not be able to afford.”