Cyrenians - Good Food Programme

The Good Food Programme is a social enterprise with a mission to bring good food and healthy lifestyles to people who are experiencing disadvantage, isolation, poverty and homelessness. We work with people of all ages, circumstances and backgrounds. The opportunities and support that we offer are designed to meet their individual needs and help them towards making long-term improvements in their lives.

Our programme outcomes are:

- Improving health and well-being.
- Providing routes to employment.
- Reducing revolving-door homelessness, re-offending and relapsing.
- Improving practice and provision in homelessness services.
- Improving social understanding and community integration.

Who else can benefit from The Good Food Programme?

- Charities looking for cost-effective solutions offering choice and quality food to people in need and food-related training for staff and users.
- Food producers and retailers looking for both CSR benefits and food-waste solutions.
- Local authorities needing cost-effective solutions to revolving door homelessness.
- Health authorities looking to promote healthy eating to socially excluded groups, and prevent over-demand on health services.
- The government's need to (a) combat enduring unemployment (b) find solutions to food waste and better access to the most excluded.
- The environment.

The Good Food Programme include:

- A food redistribution project (FareShare) which collects good food that would otherwise be wasted, and redistributes it among member agencies in Edinburgh and the Lothians.
- Cooking classes and a range of 'hands on' activities which encourage healthy eating and promote social inclusion. These new skills also help participants increase their confidence.
- Practical opportunities for training and work experience through a range of social enterprise activities.
- Advice and support for those trying to improve the lives of others through the provision of good food and good health.
- A REHIS-accredited training centre offering courses in food hygiene, food and health; and training in the delivery of practical cooking sessions.

Our Fareshare Depot in Leith is a thriving surplus food hub connecting local community to good quality food that otherwise would have been sent to landfill.

From packaging printing errors, to over-ordering issues, we work with major retailers and suppliers such as The Co-op, Tesco and Asda to redirect high quality food to those who need it most.

Cooking classes and training held at:

Cyrenians Flavour and Haver Cook School
66-68 Jane Street
Edinburgh
EH6 5HG