We’re launching our Islington Food Strategy 2023-2028 with our first ever Islington Food Week! We’re hosting a variety of events and activities throughout the week, focused around our four themes and principles:

• Healthy affordable food for all. Everyone should be able to eat the food they need to thrive.
• Sustainable local food economy. Good businesses and entrepreneurs should be able to thrive in Islington.
• Climate and nature emergency. The way we live our lives should have a positive impact on nature and the planet.
• People-powered change. People and communities coming together is the only route to achieving real change.

Here’s how you can get involved…

Come to one of our events

We’re hosting a series of events locally – read more and sign up on our Eventbrite.

Get involved with your own event or activity

We’re asking Islington organisations and citizens to support by promoting or hosting events for Islington Food Week. For example, you could:

• Use Islington Food Week branding for an event you’re already hosting – we’ll provide you with materials to share the new Islington Food Strategy, to help us reach more people.
• Host a one-off event – in honour of Islington Food Week. For example:
  • A community meal or learning and discussion event around food
  • An event linking International Women’s Day and food, recognising that our food movement is inherently linked to women’s rights and lives
  • Islington Food Week is also Food Waste Action Week – see their website for ideas on events you could host related to this
  • Lunch and Learn within businesses around food and the future we are trying to build in Islington
  • Planting day – utilise any spare green space, vertical space or even a windowsill by planting and growing something edible

• Share the new Islington Food Strategy by putting up materials in your shop window, reception, sharing in your newsletter, etc. – get in touch if you can do this and we’ll give you everything you need. Our hashtag is #IslingtonFoodWeek
• Support one of Islington Food Partnership’s events – for example by volunteering at one of our events throughout the week, or just coming along to support. All our events are on Eventbrite here.
• Develop a partnership with a local community centre or charity providing crisis food services – You can see a list of our services in Islington online here.
• Come up with another idea – we’d love to hear other ideas you have for how we can make an impact with Islington Food Week. Contact us at hello@islingtonfoodpartnership.org.uk.

Events hosting guide

Community meal or learning and discussion event

Host a meal within your organisation around Islington Food Week. This could just be an internal meal, or you could invite partner organisations, customers or community members too. 

You could host a meal or a discussion to reflect internally on how you can help achieve what we want to see in Islington, across our four key themes and principles below. Develop from this an action plan to take forward, and measure the positive changes you make.

• Affordable healthy food for all – everyone should be able to eat the food they need to thrive
• Sustainable local food economy – local, ethical, sustainable businesses and entrepreneurs should be able to thrive in Islington
• Climate and nature emergency – the way we live our lives should have a positive impact on nature and the environment
• People-powered change – people and communities need to come together to achieve the change we want to see. Real change can’t happen without this

We have a network of local businesses and community chefs that could cater your meal, please get in touch with Alex or Candice at alex@manorgardenscentre.org or candice@manorgardenscentre.org for more information.

Lunch and Learn around food and the future we are trying to build in Islington

 Host a Lunch and Learn on a topic of your choice around food. You could centre it around a book, article, film or podcast, sharing a discussion afterwards. Some of our suggestions:

• Listen to Christina Adane’s Radio 4 Programme on why we should have healthier, affordable alternatives to fast food outlets in our neighbourhoods. Then join us at our Union Chapel Big Debate on Wednesday 8th March, where Christina is on our panel.
•  Watch Marcus Rashford’s Feeding Britain’s Children documentary
• Pick an episode of The Food Programme to listen to
• Read Tim Lang’s Feeding Britain: Our Food Problems and How To Fix Them 
• Read the Islington Food Strategy, London Food Strategy, or National Food Strategy and think about how you and your organisation can contribute

Planting day

Utilise any spare green space, vertical space or even a windowsill by planting and growing something edible. You just need a pot and some seeds, or you could even build yourself a bed. Indoor herbs are always good to grow. You can see advice from the RHS on what you could plant in March here.