Glasgow Community Food Net

12/08/2026

📣New blog alert 📣

Our Freelance Cash-First Project Lead, Paddy McKenna, shares a short overview of co-facilitating a Myth-Busting Workshop at Independent Food Aid Network and Trussell's conference.

Alongside two members of the group of people who have experienced food insecurity and who are food activists, they addressed any question or myth that cash-first approaches do not matter: the myth that people having the money to buy the food that they like, that their families need, at a time that's convenient for them, at a place that they want to go to, do not matter.

Read more below:

https://glasgowfood.net/news/cash-first-matters-so-im-not-left-feeling-ashamed

07/08/2026

Cash-first Fridays: you’re a small organisation and simply don’t have the resources to apply for funding, manage the funding, and administer cash payments, but believe in a cash-first approach.

What do you do?

This is a question that has come up a lot.

Some ideas are below & all resources are on our Food Insecurity Resource Space on our website:

➡️ Partnership and collaborative working

- Who is in the same situation and may want to explore a joint funding bid, sharing of resources, hosting a community fundraiser to develop a cash-first solidarity fund?

- What organisations are closer to implementing a cash-first approach and how you could you position yourself as an asset to help make it happen? This might be that they need a welcoming community space to work from once a week or evidence that it’s needed to strengthen funding applications or a letter of support.

- Could you convene a short-term working group to problem solve and set some actions, including those who experience food insecurity?

➡️ It’s about working towards a cash-first approach (and knowing that it’s ‘cash-first’ but not ‘cash-only’)

- In what ways can you embed the principles of dignity, autonomy and choice now while working towards strengthening these?

- Could you develop a Cash-first Strategy or embed this under your current strategic objectives?

- Can you be part of challenging harmful narratives that suggest people aren’t best placed to make decisions about how to spend their money? Be loud about food insecurity and poverty being about the failure of systems and not the failure of people?

- Keep up to date and involved in Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Trussell’s Essential Guarantee Campaign?

- Is there any inspiration from the resources on the Food Insecurity Resource Space including various ‘cash-first in action’ profiles?

- Are you better placed to signpost to money advice and other supports that maximise income and provide holistic support?

➡️ Workshopping it out

- As a team and alongside people who would benefit from cash- first approaches, consider what’s possible now & in the future

- In the Cash-First Toolkit there are adaptable workshop templates that you can use within your own context.

Any queries or comments, please contact our Freelance Cash-first Project Lead: [email protected]

04/08/2026

We are calling all fruit-friendly people to join us in a collective mission to harvest Glasgow’s greatest crop!

🗓 Sat 15 Aug
⏰ 12-3pm
📍 The Pyramid at Anderston 759 Argyle Street, Glasgow, G3 8DS
👉 https://orchard-commons.eventbrite.co.uk
💸 FREE

Join us at this event to celebrate the launch of our new project, The City is an Orchard Commons, delivered in partnership with The Orchard Project to find out how you can get involved.

We'll also have light refreshments to tickle yer fancy.

This is for anyone who grows fruit and wants to share it, is interested in collectivising our city's food resources, or would like to find out more about the many ways to preserve fruit.

This event will be the first in a small series so keep your eyes peeled for more details on the following:
🍎 29 August: Picking Picnic – come learn how to harvest, details TBA
🍎 19 September: Harvest party at The Pyramid, in conjunction with the Anderston Gala Day, details TBA

All photos: Jassy Earl

With thanks to The National Lottery Community Fund Scotland

28/07/2026

We are calling all fruit-friendly people to join us in a collective mission to harvest Glasgow’s greatest crop!

🗓 Sat 15 Aug
⏰ 12-3pm
📍 The Pyramid at Anderston 759 Argyle Street, Glasgow, G3 8DS
👉 https://orchard-commons.eventbrite.co.uk
💸 FREE

Join us at this event to celebrate the launch of our new project, The City is an Orchard Commons, delivered in partnership with The Orchard Project to find out how you can get involved.

We'll also have light refreshments to tickle yer fancy.

This is for anyone who grows fruit and wants to share it, is interested in collectivising our city's food resources, or would like to find out more about the many ways to preserve fruit.

This event will be the first in a small series so keep your eyes peeled for more details on the following:

🍎 29 August: Picking Picnic – come learn how to harvest, details TBA
🍎 19 September: Harvest party at The Pyramid, in conjunction with the Anderston Gala Day, details TBA

All photos: Jassy Earl

With thanks to The National Lottery Community Fund Scotland Awards for All

We can't find what you were looking for, but we have other events you might like.

23/07/2026

Our next networking event is coming up!

🗓 Friday 14th August
⏰ 11am - 3 pm
📍 Kinning Park Complex
👉 https://gcfn-new-project.eventbrite.co.uk
💸 Free (as always)

Our Food and Climate Action is over but good news, we got funded for another 4 years - come along to find out what we've got planned

We are excited to annouce details of our new project which will be delivered with our partners, Central and West Integration Network and Glasgow Eco Trust

We'll share presentations on some of the key learnings and takeaways from our previous project, Food and Climate Action (funded by The National Lottery Climate Action Fund), creative actvities to get us thinking about goals for our latest project and collective aspirations for Glasgow's food systems, and showcase the work from our peer groups across the city.

We'll also share a free lunch and celebration cake!

Our Food and Climate Action is over but good news, we got funded for another 4 years - come along to find out what we've got planned

20/07/2026

Open for Applications!

The Mushroom Trust funds Scottish groups improving green spaces e.g paths, allotments, planting schemes, parks, community gardens and orchards.

Grants of £500–£10,000, with a preference for projects showing strong community involvement or fundraising. Apply anytime though the annual deadline is 31st March.

👉 More information here - https://mushroomtrust.com/faq/

10/07/2026

Cash-First Fridays: do you have ideas for our online Food Insecurity Resource Space?

Earlier this year and alongside partners, we launched this space that aims to provide information on local and national cash first approaches to tackling food insecurity and poverty.

We're continuing to develop this and would love to hear from you:

- what would you like to see included?
- how might this space be useful for your own work?

You can tell us this and more via this short survey - there's also the opportunity to express interest in joining an online focus group, too.

https://forms.office.com/e/bQWrj1K6qB

10/07/2026

We recently launched our online Food Insecurity Resource Space alongside partners.

This space aims to provide access to local and national information on cash first approaches to tackling food insecurity.

We're continuing to develop this and would love your thoughts and ideas:

- what would you like to see on this space?
- what would be most useful for your work?

You can tell us this and more via this short survey, which also includes an invite to an online focus group.

https://forms.office.com/e/bQWrj1K6qB

Thank you!

10/07/2026

Applications are open for the SP Energy Networks Community Tree Planting Fund!

The Tree Council and SP Energy Networks are offering grants of between £2,500 and £10,000 to plant trees, hedgerows and community orchards across central and southern Scotland.

⏰ Deadline - 23.59 Sunday 19th July

👉 More information here - https://treecouncil.org.uk/grants-and-guidance/our-grants/spen-community-tree-planting-fund/

09/07/2026

BIG funding alert for food & climate projects!

Climate Action Fund - Food Systems

The National Lottery Community Fund's Climate Action Fund is open for applications, the aim is to fund projects that strengthen our food system and reduce food insecurity for people and communities.

Focus areas:

- Agroecological food production methods (resilient, sustainable and equitable)
- Fairer distribution of healthy and affordable food
- Addressing root causes of food insecurity

You must apply as part of a partnership (e.g Charity, CIC, local authority) and be based in Scotland, England, Northern Ireland and Wales. You can apply for a minimum of £2.5 million over 3 years, most projects run for between 5-7 years.

👉 For more information visit https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/funding-programmes/climate-action-fund-food-systems