EFFORTS to promote healthy and sustainable food in the Wee County have yielded a coveted award for Clacks.

Clacks Good Food Partnership has won a prestigious UK-wide Sustainable Food Places Bronze Award, recognising exceptional work over the past two years.

In what is a collaboration between health chiefs, the local authority, the third sector and the business community, the partnership has been working to promote healthy, sustainable and local food in a bid to tackle challenges such as food poverty, diet-related ill-health and the impact of climate change.

Joanne O’ Suilleabhain, NHS Forth Valley’s principal public health office and chair of the Clackmannanshire Tackling Poverty partnership, said: “We are extremely proud to achieve this bronze award which acknowledges the significant contribution that Clacks Good Food partnership is making to supporting cost of living challenges that families are facing in our area.

“We hope that the continuation of our dignified food access supports, alongside skills and education programmes, will start to make a difference in lifting children and families out of poverty in the coming years.”

Launched in 2020, Clacks Good Food involves leaders from NHS Forth Valley, Clackmannanshire and Stirling Health and Social Care Partnership, Clackmannanshire Council, Clackmannanshire Third Sector Interface and charity partners, Alloa First, the business community as well as education providers including Forth Valley College.

Work has been ongoing to bring about real change in the area’s food systems, with aims to join the UK-wide Sustainable Food Places award scheme.

It all started with a wide range of discussions involving more than 300 people, who are passionate about building a more resilient food system.

Training was provided to help develop food growing venues in the Wee County and by pooling resources, and by accessing a Sustainable Food Places grant, the partnership was able to appoint a co-ordinator in 2022.

More food-based projects have been established since, along with more growing programmes started and learning shared.

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According to the partnership, breastfeeding levels have also risen in the area and there is a greater awareness of the role of food and food growing in reducing health inequalities.

Cllr Fiona Law, spokesperson for environment and net zero at Clackmannanshire Council, said: “Clacks Good Food Partnership is a great example of what can be achieved when local partners join together to listen to our communities and support them to take action to improve lives.

“The cost of living crisis has brought food insecurity into sharp focus and I’m pleased to see this award given to a local partnership which is helping to tackle this with a focus on sustainability.”

The partnership has also developed the Clacks Good Food Charter and other strands of work have also continued to share skills, including cooking.

There has also been a focus on reducing food waste and there is a Forth Valley Food Futures directory of community growing venues.

Leon Ballin, programme manager for Sustainable Food Places, added: “Clacks Good Food has shown just what can be achieved when creative and committed people work together to make healthy and sustainable food a defining characteristic of where they live.

“While there is still much to do and many challenges to overcome, Clacks Good Food has helped to set a benchmark for the other 100+ members of the UK Sustainable Food Places Network to follow.

“They should be very proud of the work that they have been doing to transform our collective food culture and food system for the better.”