Dagenham and Rainham MP, Margaret Mullane, has responded to the announcement at the Labour Party Conference that Barking and Dagenham will benefit from a £222,000 grant to support local good food initiatives.
The borough is one of just 45 across England to receive this funding to improve access to healthy affordable food. The funding is intentionally flexible, allowing local communities to determine how best to respond to local needs and priorities. This could include initiatives such as community food shops, mobile greengrocers, community kitchens, lunch clubs, cooking and nutrition programmes.
Margaret said
“This initiative forms part of the Labour government’s promise of helping to give families room to breathe on the cost of living and communities the power to decide what works for them.
Food insecurity remains a significant challenge for so many families. In 2024/25, around 6 million people lived in food-insecure households. The burden falls disproportionately on families with children, disabled people and those on low incomes.
I know from listening to local people that this will help and I look forward to seeing how this will be put in place across the borough.”