Our Public Health Nutrition Team support local organisations and community groups to address health and economic food issues, particularly with staff who work with vulnerable individuals and families.
Our approach has a strong emphasis on building capacity, engagement and a focus on sustainability.
Enabling organisations to be the catalyst and lead in their own communities to use food activities as a mechanism or vehicle to promote positive changes in health.
Forth Valley Food Futures
Forth Valley Food Futures is the home of the region’s cross-sector Food Partnerships working together to transform our food systems to positively benefit wellbeing, health, economic development and to protect nature and the environment.
- Forth Valley Food Futures
- Forth Valley – Sustainable Food Directory
- Forth Valley – Sustainable Food Map
Forth Valley – Sustainable Food Directory and Food Map – Have details of where to find community cafes, emergency food aid providers – food banks throughout Forth Valley, as well as details of local Support Services and more…
Cost of Living Support
The cost of living crisis presents an ongoing challenge to people and families across Scotland, with many struggling to make ends meet. The Scottish Government has launched a new website that brings together in one place information on support, grants, benefits and advice, in order to help people find what support they may be entitled to.
- Visit scot.gov for more information
- Coping with money worries – NHS Inform
Local Support
- Worrying about Money? – Independent Food Aid Network
- Cost of Living – Help and Support – Clackmannanshire Council
- Clackmannanshire – Citizens Advice Bureau – This website has online information and advice on benefits and funds that you may be entitled to, and other ways to save money on your outgoings. It is a local, independent charity which provides free, impartial and confidential advice.
- Clacks Good Food – Is a partnership lead by NHS Forth Valley supported by Clackmannanshire Council and Clackmannanshire Third Sector Interface (CTSI) and its local third sector members to make Clackmannanshire a good food leader region for Scotland. The partnership aims to support and promote good food and advocates for a more sustainable food system that is fairer for everyone. Sign up to the Clacks Good Food Newsletter here. Clacks Good Food have a Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Account.
- Clackmannanshire Council – Find out about Free School meals and School Lunches
- Clackmannanshire Third Sector Interface (CTSI) – CTSI is a ‘single door’ access point for a wide range of support and services for charitable organisations, community and voluntary action groups, volunteering and social enterprise in Clackmannanshire. They aim to provide help and support to people living in Clackmannanshire who want advice on running or starting any type of charitable, social enterprise or voluntary group, as well as volunteering and community work.
- Worrying about Money? – Independent Food Aid Network
- Energy Grants – Falkirk Council
- Cost of Living Support – Falkirk Council
- Falkirk – Citizens Advice Bureau – This website has online information and advice on benefits and funds that you may be entitled to, and other ways to save money on your outgoings. It is a local, independent charity which provides free, impartial and confidential advice.
- Falkirk Council – Find out about Free School Meals or School Clothing Grants
- CVS Falkirk – Supporting, developing and representing community groups, voluntary organisations, social enterprises and volunteering.
- Worrying about Money? – Independent Food Aid Network
- Help with the cost of living – Stirling Council
- Stirling District – Citizens Advice Bureau – This website has online information and advice on benefits and funds that you may be entitled to, and other ways to save money on your outgoings. It is a local, independent charity which provides free, impartial and confidential advice.
- Stirling Food Partnership – The Stirling Food Partnership comprises of NHS Forth Valley, Stirling Council, Stirling Voluntary Enterprise, Start Up Stirling, The Kitchen at 44 King Street and Forth Valley Food and Drink Network. Their goal is to build and maintain a resilient and vibrant local food system for Stirling inclusive to all in their community. Stirling Food Partnership have a Facebook and Instagram account. Sign up to the Stirling Food Partnership Newsletter here.
- Stirling Council – Find out about School Meals and Uniforms
- Stirling Voluntary Enterprise – SVE is Stirling’s third sector interface; a membership organisation of locally based charities, social enterprises and volunteer-led community organisations. They aim to strengthen the third-sector and broker partnerships that deliver real change by connecting people, ideas and resources.
- Start Up Stirling – Help local people across Stirling who are experiencing hardship. They run two foodbanks each week in St Ninians and Raploch and they operate a mobile foodbank for those who cannot get to a foodbank.
Food and Drink in Forth Valley
Forth Valley Food and Drink – There’s never been a better time to enjoy and explore Forth Valley’s rich local larder. From food festivals to farmers’ markets; artisan producers to agricultural tours; dairies to distilleries; our region is overflowing with the finest food and drink experiences. Forth Valley Food and Drink also have a Facebook, Twitter and Instagram account.
Vitamin D Supplement Advice and How to Access Locally
It is important that we all get enough vitamin D because it has a number of important functions; in particular, it is needed to support good bone and muscle health.
Our main source of vitamin D is sunlight and in Scotland from October to March, we don’t get enough sunlight, therefore we need to rely on vitamin D from food. Since vitamin D is found naturally in only in a small number of foods.eg oily fish and eggs or it is added to some foods like breakfast cereal and spreads it is difficult to get enough from food alone. It is therefore important that we take a daily supplement containing vitamin D.
During the winter months October to March everyone including children should consider taking a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms (µg) of vitamin D.
It is also recommended that some people are at higher risk of vitamin D deficiency and they should take a daily supplement all year round.
- Find out more about Vitamin D – advice for all age groups
- Vitamin D and You – Leaflet
- Why do you need vitamin D supplements? (Food Standards Scotland)
Get free Vitamin D
Collect FREE Vitamin D at multiple locations.
Pregnant Women
Healthy Start vitamins, which contain10µg of vitamin D, are available free to all pregnant women in Scotland.
Ask your midwife or health visitor for further information.
Breastfeeding Women, Babies and Young Children
Breastfeeding women and babies under 12 months in Scotland can get free vitamin D supplements containing 10µg the recommended daily amount of vitamin D. Please speak to your family nurse or health visitor to find out if your baby or child needs a vitamin D supplement.
Vitamin D supplements can also be purchased from supermarkets, pharmacies or online. Please do not buy a vitamin D supplement that contains more than the recommended daily dose of 10µg.
- Apps – There are several Apps you can download to access local food either free or at a reduced cost, making sure food gets eaten and not wasted – Too Good To Go or Olio.
- BBC Food – Budget recipes and advice – Includes money saving and energy saving tips.
- Eat Well, Spend Less – Food Fact Sheets (British Dietetic Association)
- Community Food and Health Scotland – Aims to ensure that everyone in Scotland, has the opportunity, ability and confidence to access a healthy diet.
- Cyrenians Good Food – A Picture Recipe Book
- Food Aid Network – the UK network for independent food aid providers.
- Food Train – Food Train is an innovative volunteer-led grocery shopping delivery service which brings vital fresh food to vulnerable older people in need.
- Meal Makers is a subsidiary of the award winning Scottish Charity Food Train. Meal Makers is a local neighbourhood food-sharing project that connects people who love cooking, and who are happy to share an extra portion of home cooked food, with an older neighbour who would really appreciate a freshly prepared meal and a friendly chat.
- Nourish Scotland – a charity focusing on food policy and practice.
- Parent Club – Quick and easy low cost recipes.
- Poverty Alliance – Scotland’s network of organisations and individuals working together to end food poverty.
- Sustainable Food Places – Working across all aspects of the food system to solve some of today’s most pressing social, environmental and economic issues. They have an Award scheme which is designed to recognise and celebrate the success of those places taking a joined up, holistic approach to food and that are achieving significant positive change on a range of key food issues.
- Sustain – Food Power – Tackling food poverty through people.
- Forth Environment Link – Is a Scottish environmental charity, based in Forth Valley, leading the way on connecting people and place on actions which make a positive response to the Climate Emergency.
- Food Standards Scotland – Is the public sector food body for Scotland, they aim to protect consumers in Scotland from food safety risks and promote healthy eating.
- Love Food, Hate Waste – Reduce food waste, plan meals and save money.