'First-ever' Walsall food summit hopes for healthier and more sustainable eating in town

A first-ever food summit in Walsall is hoping to encourage healthier and more sustainable eating in the town.

The summit, organised by the Soil Association's Food for Life, and Public Health Walsall, will see over 40 local groups meet on Wednesday to discuss a plan for the town.

This includes local retailers, growers, volunteers, and schools.

The summit is part of a wider Food for Life programme that began with improving food quality in schools and nurseries.

It also hopes to improve food quality in the town - which was ranked amongst the top 10% most deprived districts in the 2019 Index of Multiple Deprivation.

Speaking to Free Radio, Jenine Hadley, the Local Manager for the Food for Life programme in Walsall, said she hopes the summit can build on some of their previous work in the town's schools.

"We also look at creating links with local farms, we look at encouraging growing and cooking activities within the school, and also with parents outside of the school."

"The work that we'll be doing as part of the food summit is to integrate some of that activity into the wider Walsall population."

She added the summit to encourage people "to make healthy choices, understand how to cook on a budget, use locally sourced produce, help with sustainability, and support the local economy and environment at the same time."

Ms Hadley added that getting so many local groups in the same room on the issue is a "golden opportunity" to create a "more healthy and sustainable food environment in Walsall.

"We can identify what those steps are, who has that passion to drive them forward, and obviously the ultimate goal is to have an impact on the way that people are eating."

The food summit also contributes towards Walsall Council's We Are Walsall 2040 Borough Plan, encouraging people to "healthy and well".