Feeding Bristol

Charity Number: 1177585

Annual Expenditure: £0.2M
Geographic Focus: Bath And North East Somerset, Bristol City, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £173,100 distributed (by 2024, across multiple rounds)
  • Success Rate: 44% (2022 round: 18 funded from 41 applications)
  • Decision Time: 6-8 weeks from application deadline
  • Grant Range: £3,000 - £8,980 (typical £5,000-£10,000)
  • Geographic Focus: Bristol and surrounding areas

Contact Details

Feeding Bristol

Bristol Local Food Fund (Grant Applications)

  • Website: https://www.bristollocalfoodfund.com/
  • Email: bristollocalfoodfund@gmail.com
  • Applications processed through Quartet Community Foundation
  • Application queries: applications@quartetcf.org.uk or 0117 989 7700

Overview

Feeding Bristol is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) established in 2018 (charity number 1177585) with the mission to relieve food insecurity and tackle hunger caused by lack of opportunities or resources across Bristol. The charity works to change inequality in the local food system, focusing on equity and fairness across locality, race, class, culture, religion, gender, ability, and age. Feeding Bristol partners with Quartet Community Foundation to operate the Bristol Local Food Fund, which uses innovative participatory grantmaking where funding decisions are made by a Citizens Panel composed of six individuals with lived experience of food insecurity. By 2024, the fund had distributed £173,100 to 29 community food projects, with individual grants in the 2024 round ranging from £3,000 to £8,980.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Bristol Local Food Fund

  • Grant range: £3,000 - £8,980 (no upper limit specified for applications)
  • Average grant size: £5,000 - £10,000
  • Application method: Online through Quartet Community Foundation portal
  • Schedule: Fixed rounds (applications typically open for 6 weeks)
  • Total distributed to date: £173,100 to 29 projects

Priority Areas

Projects must support one or more of the five priorities outlined in Bristol's Food Equality Strategy and Action Plan:

  1. Fair, equitable access - Ensuring residents can access appropriate, culturally relevant, and affordable food
  2. Choice and security - Enabling residents to make food decisions without anxiety about food insecurity
  3. Skills and resources - Helping residents develop confidence in accessing and using food effectively
  4. A sustainable local food system - Prioritizing resilience and sustainability in food production and distribution
  5. Food at the heart of decision-making - Ensuring food needs are considered in planning processes

Specific project types funded include:

  • Community cooking programmes and workshops
  • Hot meal provision for vulnerable groups
  • Mobile affordable food shops
  • Social supermarkets
  • Food education and training initiatives (74% of grantees offer these)
  • Culturally appropriate food provision for diverse communities
  • School holiday food programmes
  • Community gardens and growing projects

Priority communities:

  • Single parents
  • Disabled individuals
  • Black and minority ethnic groups
  • Carers
  • LGBTQIA+ individuals
  • Young people (aged 16-24)
  • Asylum seekers and refugees
  • People experiencing food insecurity

What They Don't Fund

Information not explicitly stated, but funding is focused exclusively on Bristol-based community food projects addressing food insecurity. Contact Quartet Community Foundation for specific exclusions.

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

  • Andy Street - Chair of Trustees
  • Sally Jaeckle OBE - Trustee
  • Jamie Cameron - Trustee
  • Sara Venn - Trustee
  • Anna Jones - Trustee
  • Julian Mines - Trustee (also Chief Executive of Bristol Charities)
  • Chrissie Storry - Trustee

Leadership Team

  • Ped Asgarian - Director
  • Dr Lucy Tordo-Gillingham (Jackman) - Head of Research and Development
  • Jo Ingleby - Head of Food Education
  • Mali Evans - Head of Engagement and Advocacy

Citizens Panel

The Bristol Local Food Fund is governed by a Citizens Panel of six people with lived experience of food insecurity who make all funding decisions. Panel members are paid above living wage with expenses covered.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

  1. Applications are submitted online through Quartet Community Foundation's grant portal
  2. Application periods typically open for 6 weeks
  3. Review guidance at: https://quartetcf.org.uk/apply-for-a-grant/before-applying/
  4. No upper limit on funding amounts that can be requested
  5. The fund is committed to making applications as inclusive and accessible as possible

Decision Timeline

  • Application period: 6 weeks (when open)
  • Review process: Citizens Panel meets to review applications after deadline
  • Decision timeline: Approximately 6-8 weeks from application closure
  • Notification: Applicants notified directly by Quartet Community Foundation
  • Payment: Successful applicants received grants in December following October/November application rounds

Success Rates

2022 Round:

  • 41 applications received
  • 18 projects funded
  • Success rate: 44%

2024 Round:

  • 19 projects funded
  • £110,000 distributed

Reapplication Policy

Information not explicitly stated in public materials. Contact bristollocalfoodfund@gmail.com or applications@quartetcf.org.uk for guidance on reapplication.

Application Success Factors

Geographic Priority

Funding prioritizes communities experiencing highest food insecurity. In the 2023 round, geographic distribution was:

  • Hartcliffe & Withywood: 19%
  • Hengrove & Whitchurch Park: 14%
  • Lawrence Hill: 14%
  • Ashley: 10%
  • Filwood: 8%
  • Southmead: 8%
  • Lockleaze: 5%

Alignment with Food Equality Strategy

Applications are reviewed based on alignment with Bristol's Food Equality Strategy and Action Plan. Strong applications clearly demonstrate how their project supports one or more of the five priority areas.

Community Focus

The Citizens Panel prioritizes projects serving communities most affected by food insecurity, including marginalized and underserved groups.

Cultural Appropriateness

Projects providing culturally appropriate food are strongly valued. Multiple funded projects specifically mention culturally relevant food provision.

Examples of Funded Projects

2024 Round:

  • All Saints Parish Church (£3,000) - School holiday cooking programme for low-income families in Eastville
  • Black Mothers Matter CIC (£8,000) - Bumps N Babies Group providing nutritious, culturally appropriate hot lunches in Lawrence Hill
  • Borderlands (£7,500) - Hot meals, social supermarket, and cooking groups for asylum seekers and refugees in Lawrence Hill
  • Bristol Somali Youth Voice (£8,980) - Community gatherings with hot meals and healthy eating education in Easton
  • Incredible Kids (£8,000) - Nutritious meals and food parcels for disabled/neurodiverse young people in Lockleaze

Food Justice Framework

Understanding Feeding Bristol's food justice framework strengthens applications. Food justice means “everyone has access to nutritious, affordable and culturally appropriate food, which is grown, produced, sold and consumed in ways that care for people and the environment.”

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. Participatory decision-making is central - All funding decisions are made by a Citizens Panel with lived experience of food insecurity, not traditional trustees or staff. Frame applications to resonate with people who understand food insecurity firsthand.
  1. Align explicitly with Food Equality Strategy priorities - Clearly state which of the five priority areas your project addresses. Applications are specifically reviewed for relevance to Bristol's Food Equality Strategy and Action Plan.
  1. Geographic targeting matters - Projects in areas with highest food insecurity (Hartcliffe & Withywood, Lawrence Hill, Hengrove & Whitchurch Park) have received significant proportions of funding.
  1. Cultural appropriateness is valued - Multiple funded projects emphasize culturally appropriate food provision. If your project serves specific cultural communities, highlight this strongly.
  1. Reasonable success rate - With a 44% success rate in 2022, applications are competitive but achievable. Average grants range £5,000-£10,000, though no upper limit exists.
  1. Education and training components strengthen applications - 74% of grantees provide education and training programs, suggesting these elements are highly valued.
  1. Accessibility and equity are core values - The fund is committed to accessible and equitable processes. Don't let application concerns prevent you from applying; support is available through Quartet Community Foundation.

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