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If you have spare fruit and vegetables from your allotment or garden we can get it to feeding projects (foodbanks, low-cost markets or community meals) helping people across Bradford who need a bit of help getting healthy, affordable food.

How it works

We introduce your group of allotment plot holders, or other group of growers, to a local feeding project. We’ll provide you with strong, covered plastic boxes which you’ll need to put in a shaded area. On an agreed day, growers fill the boxes with their spare produce, and the feeding project comes and collects it to distribute to those that need it.

The more growers you can get, the more effective your support will be, but any size group will make a difference. You might run all all year round, or just in the summer.

For information regarding safe produce for donation, and the use of pesticides on your crop, please visit the Bradford Council Allotments page.

Get started

Talk to your fellow growers, your allotment association or your site representative, and then get in touch with us on hello@feedingbradford.org.uk so that we can connect you with your local feeding project.

What is the Healthy Start scheme?

The Healthy Start scheme is a national government welfare scheme for families on low income that has run for many years. Pregnant women, or families who have children under four years old, may be entitled to get vouchers or payments every four weeks to spend on:

• cows’ milk
• fresh, frozen or tinned fruit and vegetables
• infant formula milk
• fresh, dried or tinned pulses.

Vouchers are worth £4.25.

Families can also get free Healthy Start vitamins (see below).

Who can claim?

Broadly, you’ll qualify for the Healthy Start scheme if you’re at least ten weeks pregnant or have at least one child under four, and you are receiving certain benefits. You’ll also be eligible of you’re pregnant and under 18, claiming ESA or get Working Tax Credit run-on whilst working 16 hours or less per week.

• There is a temporary addition to the scheme’s eligibility criteria to include British children aged under four whose parent/guardian meet the financial eligibility criteria but are excluded from claiming public funds as a consequence of their immigration status, or their lack of immigration status.

Families can check their eligibility on the Healthy Start website.

How does the scheme work?

By September 2022, the voucher scheme will be fully digital, with families being issued a pre-paid card which can be used in chip and pin machines at participating retailers. The card is automatically topped up every four weeks.

During the transition period (from September 2021), some families will still be issued paper vouchers. Registered Healthy Start providers should accept both methods. Families using paper vouchers will be contacted during the transition period to re-apply online for a card.

Families now apply for the scheme online (previously applications were on a paper form and a healthcare professional was required to countersign some applications).

Healthy Start vitamins

The Bradford District Universal Vitamin Supplementation policy provides free vitamins to:

• all pregnant women giving birth in Bradford
  (Healthy Start Maternal vitamin tablets from their Midwife team)
• all infants born in Bradford
  (Healthy Start infant vitamin drops for the first six months from their Health Visitor)

If a family has any questions, please ask them to speak with their Midwife or Health Visitor.

When you start a new food business or take over an existing business, you must register with your local authority. Many churches and other organisations think they are exempt from this ruling but they are not – check the information below to see whether you need to register.

It’s free to register, and your registration cannot be refused.

Who needs to register?

A food business is anyone preparing, cooking, storing, handling, distributing, supplying or selling food.

Registration applies to food business like:

• restaurants, cafes and take-aways
• catering businesses run from home, mobile catering and temporary businesses
• food stalls, food pop ups and food vans
• distance selling, mail order and food delivery
• nurseries
• companies involved with food distribution or supply (even if they operate from an office where no food is kept at the premises)

If you operate more than one premises, you need to register each premises with the local authority where it’s located. You can visit the Food Standards Agency for more information on starting a food business.

You may be fined, imprisoned for up to 2 years or both if you run a food business without registering.

When should you register?

You should register at least 28 days before opening.

If you’re already trading and have not registered, you need to do this as soon as possible.

What happens once you’re registered?

Once registered, you may be inspected by your local authority and given a food hygiene rating.

Preparing thoroughly for inspection means your business has the best chance of getting a top rating (5) in the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme.