Sustainable Food Steering Group
Wednesday 20th July; 2pm to 4pm
Room 2.01, One First Street.
PresentChris Walsh (Chair) [CW] / FeedingManchester representative
Lisa Lingard (minutes) [LL] / Environmental Strategy Officer, MCC
Christine Raiswell [CR] / Food Futures Programme Manager, Public Health Manchester MCC
Debbie Ellen (minutes) [DE] / Independent Sustainable Food Consultant / Researcher
Helen Bidwell [HB] / Independent Consultant and MACF SSG member.
Apologies / Emma Read [ER]
1 / Introductions
The group welcomed Helen Bidwell, an independent consultant specialising in social research and community engagement. Helen also sits on the MACF Stakeholder Steering Group (MACF SSG) and can act as a link between SFSG and the MACF SSG.
2 / Minutes of the last meeting and matters arising / All
Actions carried forward: there is an outstanding action for Christine to contact Dina a NEPHRA with regards to them joining the FM network.
Action: CR to contact Dina Muphy at NEPHRA. / CR
Sustainable Food Position paper: A provisional date for completion of the paper in August will be delayed to mid August due to workloads. CR and LL will meet to discuss writing the paper. CW has completed the comparison between MCC and Oldham and will meet LL and CR to discuss.
Actions:
- CR and LL to meet to discuss content of SF Position Paper.
- LL, CR and CW to meet on 03 August at 3pm to discuss the comparison paper.
- CW to email the group the comparison paper.
LL explained that the date of 03rd August will need to be changed due to unforeseen circumstances. A new date will be made for late August, with the following people invited: Elaine Heggie, Head of TS, Joanne Sclater: Catering Serices Manager Manchester Fayre, Ian Brown: Head of Procurement, Colin Cox: Food Futures, Angela Coulton, Wayne Welsby and Peter Walpole from AGMA Procuremet Hub, Trafford MBCl, Cllrs Jeff Smith and Cllr Nigel Murphy and members of the SFSG. LL had circulated an outline of the agenda and invitation and this will be sent out via Richard Sharland.
Action: LL to arrange a meeting with Trading Services and Procurement in late August. / CR
CR / LL /
CW
LL
MACF website
CR has spoken to Neil Jones about the issues on the MACF website. The MACF SSG have agreed that any information about food can be emailed to Helen Bidwell for upload into the MACF blogs. The SSG are of the issues wit the website and Neil is meeting with the web company about the website issues
Action:
1. Members of the group should email Helen with any blog items:
Communicating with Stakeholders
CW to put the minutes on the Feeding Manchester (FM) forum and ask FM members to add projects onto the MACF website.
Action: CW to ask all FM organisations to add their projects to the MACF website
MACF Stakeholder conference:
LL reported that the MACF conference will take place during Climate Week 2012 (12- 18 March 2012). The new secretariat of the SSG will be in place by the end of August. Once in place the group will meet with them to discuss ideas for the MACF Conference.
Action:LL will keep the group updates on this and arrange a meeting in September. / ALL
HB
CW
LL
3 / SFSG Delivery Plan / All
CR had written an introductory narrative and completed the final draft of the plan. All edits and comments should be returned to CR as soon as possible. The Plan will be updated annually and the reporting process will include an annual report in March 2012 , which will also coincide with the MACF Stakeholder Conference. This will ensure that the Delivery Plan is able to capture the breadth of food work across Manchester and possibly GM. LL noted that the Delivery Plan will need to go to ESPB as an agenda item, possibly in September.
To ensure engagement and consultation of the Delivery Plan, it be discussed at the FM meeting in October and also be included in the Food Futures Bulletin.
Actions: ALL provide feedback on current version to CR.
- Once completed CW to add to FM agenda in October.
- CR to add to FF bulletin in October.
- LL to add to ESPB agenda in September.
CW
CR
LL
4 / MACF Refresh template
The refresh template was submitted to MACF SSG. There is a process in place for new actions to be reviewed and agreed as part of the refresh process. This is as follows: The refresh process will be designed and managed by the new project support (AfSL, FoE or Gwk), along with 2 SG members. The new support will in place for the next meeting on 25th Aug and this will be one of their first tasks. At this stage we don't have a timetable although it is expected that the SSG will want this to be complete by March 2012.
5 / Feeding Manchester Update / CW
CW updated the group on the agenda for the next FM meeting on 21 /08/11.There are approx 56 people booked onto the event, many from Oldham and Stockport.
Action:ER will attend the meeting as the Growing Manchester rep / ER
6 / Growing Manchester Update / CR
CR gave an update of the Growing Manchester project on behalf of ER. All project have now been visited. ER is developing the tender document for the 2 year Growing Manchester programme.
LL noted that the Groundwork contact for the Meanwhile project – Mark Knight should get in touch with ER with regards to the pilot community growing project to be completed by March 2012 when this is appropriate. DE enquired as to whether there would be a map developed as part of the Meanwhile project.
Action: LL to report back at the next meeting. / LL
7 / Widening Group Membership
HB has joined the group, although may not be able to commit long term.
LL reported that Angela is yet to confirm if she can join the group pending other priorities.
8 / NSM projects / CR
NSM student project
CR, DE and Maz met withAndrew Clarke and Rob the student to discuss the project; however Rob was not able to attend. The project, of national importance, is looking at a method of engagement with traders around food types and weights coming into NWM, and is progressing well. Rob will be collecting data during August and is due to present his findings on 16th September. The initial results will be available approx one week in advance.
NSM Exemplar Project
Expressions of interest have been distributed to contact for the tender for the NSM food waste project. The closing date for applications is 05th August and assessment will take place in the afternoon.
9 / Update on Carbon Reserve Projects / CR
Baselining project: the tender documents for this are being developed by CR.
Growing Manchester programme: see item 6.
10 / AOB
GM Strategy: LL circulated by email links to the GM strategy on the EN4M website.
Sustainable Cities Food Coalition: This is a new initiative to bring together food networks in cities. CR reported that Tom Andrews - Programmes Director at the Soil Association, has contacted her with regards to Manchester joining in the coalition and attending their conference on 12th October.
CR requested comments on this proposal to her and it was agreed that Manchester should be involved. CW noted that there was also a new group called “Good Food Towns”.
Actions:
- CR will reply that Manchester is interested in joining the coalition.
- CR will forward the invitation to Angela and Richard for information and advice.
11 / DONM: 26TH AUGUST; 2-4PM. ROOM 4.04. / CR / CW