Opinion: We’re not following national trends… we’re setting them.

Nourishing Norfolk, led by Norfolk Community Foundation, tackles food insecurity while helping communities grow stronger and more connected, using food as a starting point to build long-term resilience.

An independent evaluation by the University of East Anglia has shown the wide-reaching impact of the programme, and Foundation CEO Claire Cullensreflects on the Foundation’s role in supporting its success and enabling communities to thrive…

“Five years ago, when Nourishing Norfolk began as a response to an increased demand for food support during the Covid-19 pandemic, I could not have imagined the journey we would take. What started as a single pilot in 2020 has grown into a network of 26 food hubs across Norfolk, supporting more than 40,000 people. And now, thanks to the University of East Anglia’s independent evaluation, we can see in black and white just how much this work matters: £6.54 of social value for every £1 invested.

These numbers prove the impact, but the real lesson of this story lies in the people and communities who have brought Nourishing Norfolk to life. At the evaluation launch last week at the Norfolk Foodhall, we heard from hub leaders, researchers, and partners. What struck me most was not just the scale of what has been achieved, but how it has been achieved: through trust, ambition, and a belief that communities themselves hold the answers.

The food hubs are as diverse as Norfolk itself. A busy estate in Norwich. A coastal town. A rural village where the nearest supermarket is miles away. Each hub looks and feels different because it reflects its own community. Julie Woods from Shrublands put it simply when she described her hub as just “a corner shop”. Not a food bank, not a ‘poor shop’, but a place where people can choose what they need, pay a fair price, and be greeted by name. For her members, it is food on the table, but it is also a place for friendship and the safety of knowing that someone notices if they are having a bad day.

The evaluation shows the impact clearly: reduced money worries, healthier diets, less loneliness, and stronger connections. But it also offers a roadmap for the future. If we want services that truly work for people, we must start by listening, not dictating. We must trust communities, build networks, and act boldly when we see what works. This way, we can create systems people can trust and can truly shape local lives.

Dr Sarah Hanson, who led the UEA research, called this “really good public health”. It’s the kind of support that cannot be designed in a Whitehall office. Nourishing Norfolk is made by skilled local people, often volunteers, noticing when something is wrong, who offer small acts of kindness that snowball into lasting change. Her colleague Anna Sweeting, who spent 11 months embedded in the hubs, said the most consistent outcome people reported was not cheaper food, but a stronger “sense of belonging”. That says it all.

This is what Norfolk Community Foundation does best. We trust local people to know what their neighbours need. We help communities build on what is strong. And we create the space for them to lead. The result is something more powerful than any top-down scheme: communities leading with ambition and taking charge of their own futures.

We enable this by building partnerships. For example, Norse Group’s support has allowed us to create the UK’s first affordable food hub warehouse and distribution network, truly a game-changer in a rural county where transport is often the biggest barrier. Local councils, national funders like the Mercers and the National Lottery, and individuals from farmers to Delia Smith have also all played their part. Their trust in Norfolk Community Foundation has unlocked millions in support.

And it’s not just locally that Nourishing Norfolk is having an impact. At the launch, Andrew Forsey of Feeding Britain said Nourishing Norfolk is not following national trends; it is actively shaping them. That should make us all proud. Our county is proving that food insecurity can be tackled in ways that are preventative, rooted in community, and led and enabled by local people themselves.

Nourishing Norfolk is still young, and challenges remain. But five years on, it has grown from an idea into a movement that is changing lives and changing systems. As someone lucky enough to have walked alongside it from the beginning, I feel enormous pride in what Norfolk has achieved by coming together. And I believe its lessons will continue to reach far beyond our county’s borders.

In the end, this is not just a story about food. It is a story about people. About Norfolk people who are determined, resourceful, and ambitious in their communities. And it shows what happens when we come together to give them the chance to take the lead.”

Claire Mackintosh MBE, CEO of Norfolk Community Foundation

Claire Mackintosh MBE is Chief Executive of Norfolk Community Foundation, where she has helped to enable pioneering initiatives such as Nourishing Norfolk, a county-wide network of affordable food hubs tackling food insecurity and building stronger communities. Awarded an MBE in 2024 for services to charities and business development in Norfolk, she is a passionate advocate for community-led solutions and has built wide-ranging partnerships to unlock millions in support for local people.