The Local Food programme, managed by the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT) and funded by a £50 million grant from the Big Lottery Fund has seen unprecedented demand from projects that aim to make local food more accessible and affordable to communities.

Local Food funds a broad range of food related projects that will benefit individuals and communities across the country. Some projects already funded include a Devonshire community café, an urban farm in Sheffield and a cooking club for autistic children in Stockton on Tees.

Mark Wheddon, Local Food Programme Manager said:

“It is obvious that there is a huge interest and need for this type of funding. The public appear to be increasingly in tune with the environmental consequences of the choices they make, including their knowledge and understanding of food and where it comes from.”

“It is important that we act quickly so that we can make potential applicants, and those working up project ideas, fully aware of the current level of demand. We do not want to have a situation where people invest a great deal of time and effort into applying, unaware of the exceptional levels of demand we are experiencing, only to be disappointed if we cannot fund their project.”

In just 14 months the Local Food programme has received enough applications to potentially fully utilise the £50 million grant funding available and its Grants Officers are currently in the process of assessing these applications. Potential applicants have three months to submit new first stage applications before the programme suspends acceptance of new applications on 21st August 2009.

Local Food has awarded £13m of grants to date and will be shortly announcing the successful Beacon Project grant awards (£300,001 to £500,000).

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