By Amanda Wood – Cardiff Community Food Collective

In a powerful show of community spirit and collaboration, 30 members of the Cardiff Community Food Collective gathered recently at Butetown Community Centre for their latest monthly meeting. The event, hosted by Butetown Community Pantry and led by veteran food poverty activist Kervin Julien, served as a hub for discussion, strategy, and action in tackling food insecurity across the city.

Julien, a 61-year-old Londoner, established Butetown Food Pantry in January 2022, and attendees were inspired by his journey in setting up the initiative. His story set the stage for an engaging session, where members broke into groups to exchange ideas on improving food networks, enhancing volunteer support, and developing sustainable food provisions.

The Cardiff Community Food Collective brings together representatives from food pantries, community kitchens, and allotments and includes dieticians from Public Health Wales, all united by a shared mission:

• Ensuring everyone has access to affordable, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food.
• Reducing social isolation by using food as a way to bring people together.
• Championing a place-based, community-led approach to tackling food insecurity.

By working together, the collective strengthens Cardiff’s good food movement, which is powered largely by dedicated volunteers. Members collaborate through an online forum, joint training sessions, and collective advocacy to address the root causes of food poverty.

One attendee emphasised the importance of these collaborations:

“Being part of a network of food pantries and food growing projects means we can support each other, share ideas, and pass on any of our own surplus food to other pantries so it doesn’t end up going to waste. It’s always inspiring when we get together.”

Clare from Grangetown Kitchen Garden added:

“It was great to learn about other local food projects and to share information. The lunch was delicious, thanks to the kitchen team at Butetown Community Centre.”

Sue, also from Grangetown Kitchen Garden, highlighted the value of a connected food network:

“It’s great to be involved in a city-wide community food project with like-minded people. If we have more than we need, we can share it with another pantry – continuing to help and care in the community.”

Part of Food Cardiff, the Cardiff Community Food Collective welcomes managers, coordinators, and volunteers to join – membership is free.