More than 20 representatives from community food and growing projects gathered to discuss long-term sustainability and celebrate achievements.
Cardiff Community Food Collective (CCFC) met in March at the vibrant Grangetown Kitchen Garden, bringing together over 20 representatives from food pantries, community kitchens, and growing projects across the city. With a focus on the future sustainability of the network, the event was both a heartfelt farewell and a hopeful step forward.
The day opened with a warm and emotional tribute to Pearl Costello, who will be moving on to a new role at Food Sense Wales. Pearl has played a pivotal role in developing the CCFC initiative, offering tireless support and vision that helped Cardiff achieve the Sustainable Food Places Gold Award in 2024 – an honour held by only four places in the UK. Members shared their deep appreciation for her leadership, which has been foundational to CCFC’s success and its powerful impact on community food resilience in Cardiff. Pearl will continue to oversee Food Cardiff while a new co-ordinator is recruited.
With Pearl’s departure, the meeting provided a timely opportunity to reflect on the network’s strengths and explore what is needed to support and sustain CCFC moving forward. Led by working group members Grant and Amanda, alongside guest contributor Thomas Crocket, Third Sector Development Officer at Cardiff Third Sector Council, the session was designed as an active consultation.
Throughout the day, participants collaborated on five key areas essential to the future of the collective:
- Communication & Collaboration
- Training & Knowledge Sharing
- Funding & Resources
- Advocacy & Influence
- Practical Support for Food Projects
These themes were unpacked through group discussions, interactive workshops, and future-focused idea sharing. The outputs will shape a citywide survey to be circulated across the CCFC network, aiming to gather wider input from all members and supporting organisations.
Attendees were nourished not only by the conversations but also by a delicious, sustainable lunch prepared by volunteers at Grangetown Kitchen Garden. Specialising in food grown onsite and surplus ingredients, the volunteers exemplify the grassroots innovation and community spirit at the heart of CCFC.
The event reinforced the collective’s commitment to growing a fairer, more resilient food system for Cardiff. As the network looks ahead, the insights gathered during this meeting will help ensure CCFC remains community-led, inclusive, and equipped to meet the challenges of the future.
The survey shaped during the consultation will be launched in the summer and shared widely across the network. All voices will be vital in shaping what comes next.
