The Nourishing Norfolk Awards
2024
We’re pleased to announce the first-ever Nourishing Norfolk Awards!
On 16th May, we’ll be hosting an extraordinary evening alongside City College Norwich and Holiday Inn as we honour the remarkable individuals, businesses, and donors who have fuelled the success of Norfolk Community Foundation’s Nourishing Norfolk programme, helping to ensure no one in Norfolk goes hungry.
Through 8 awards celebrating the dedication of our diverse partners in this nationally unique programme, we’ll reflect on the profound impact that collaboration and generosity have had across our county. From innovative businesses to compassionate charities and dedicated donors, each nominee has played a vital role in nourishing our community and creating a brighter future for all.
Norfolk Community Foundation created the Nourishing Norfolk programme in 2020 to offer people struggling with the rising cost of living a local place to shop on a budget and the chance to access the support they need to thrive. Each food hub has its own unique offer, but all have joined our mission to provide food and support to those who need it most.
This evening promises to be an inspiring celebration of unity, compassion, and collective action. Hosted by Holiday Inn Norwich with hospitality provided by students at City College Norwich, we’ll be shining a spotlight on those who have made a difference. Together, let’s continue to sow the seeds of change across Norfolk.
The Awards
The Healthy Eating Award, Sponsored by The Royal Norfolk Agricural Association
Food hubs help to encourage healthy eating, menu planning and help members to try seasonal produce. This award recognises the food hub doing more to help their members eat healthily.
Nominees
- The Phoenix Larder, Norwich Helping provide community meals and school holiday lunches at the Centre.
- Fakenham Food Fellowship Showcasing budget cooking at the Royal Norfolk Show.
- The Feed, Norwich Engaging the community and other hubs with healthy eating.
- Steps Community Food Shop, Wymondham For their Food In School Holidays (FISH) programme.
Sponsor: The Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association
“The Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association is delighted to be sponsoring the Healthy Eating Award. Having supported the Nourishing Norfolk project since its inception we want to ensure that as many people as possible recognise the importance of locally grown produce and how our food producing community can help overcome food poverty. Broadening an understanding of how to develop a healthy diet is critical to improving wellbeing and addressing many other issues. We wish everyone involved the best of luck.”
The Skills Accelerator Award, Sponsored by Chadwicks
Food hubs help people gain confidence and skills to bring the workplace within reach. This award recognises the food hub that has helped local people to build skills and pathways to employment.
Nominees
- Love Downham Helping parents at Swan Youth Project engage with volunteering.
- Burrell Shop, Thetford Building space for families to volunteer together.
- Magdalene St Pantry, Norwich Offering integrated support for clients and customers.
- Soul Foundation Social Supermarket, Norwich Helping people get work-ready with Job Club.
Sponsor: Chadwicks
“Chadwicks are delighted to sponsor The Skills Accelerator award. Chadwicks has grown by taking on bright, enthusiastic people and investing in their development – our mantra is ‘if you’re working with us you’re learning’! Skills improvement is the route to a better future – for colleagues, for the businesses or organisations they work in, for their customers and for the wider community. It is a privilege to be able to recognise success in this important area.”
Excellence for Volunteer Management, Sponsored by Holiday Inn
Communities are built by Volunteers. This award recognises the hub that has gone the extra mile by inspiring and supporting their vital volunteer team.
Nominees
- The Pantry, Kenninghall Working together to support one another & the community.
- Sally’s Store, Great Yarmouth Supporting and engaging volunteers from diverse local communities.
- Shrublands Community Food Club, Gorleston Helping their volunteers build confidence.
- The Food Pantry, Feltwell Coordinating volunteers to offer extra support for their members.
- ENYP Social Supermarket, Norwich Supporting volunteers to help customers in the food hub and beyond.
Sponsor: Holiday Inn
“Food Hubs has become a vital lifeline to so many people and as a business we wanted to show our acknowledgement of the hard work that all the managing volunteers do by sponsoring this award to say thank you for the continuous hard work and service that you all have supplied to the communities around you.”
The Food Hub Building Pathways for Help, Sponsored by Hopestead
This award recognises the food hub that has developed an innovative wrap-around support offer, either in-house or with help from partners.
Nominees
- The Shelf, Diss Channelling support through the Citizen’s Advice Bureau.
- Watton Food Hub Engaging with local schools and offering a ‘Community Hot-Spot’.
- Earlham Community Shop, Norwich Taking a holistic view of families to offer support.
- Dereham Food Cabin Boosting shopper’s confidence to access further support.
- North Lynn Food Hub Working with their host organisation for greater impact.
Sponsor: Hopestead
“At Hopestead, we understand the vital role food hubs play. Positioned at the very heart of community life, they have a significant impact on those facing the toughest challenges. Through our sponsorship of the Food Hub Building Pathways for Help Award, we aim to celebrate the remarkable efforts of food hubs that go above and beyond. These hubs not only provide meals, but they also collaborate with partners to develop innovative solutions to offer comprehensive support and build trust. This award recognises their commitment to creating sustainable communities and ensuring that no one is left behind.”
The Food Hub Eco Award, Sponsored by The Forum
We need to support practices that encourage eating food that as good for the planet as it is for us. This award recognises the hub working to save miles, help the environment, and inspire members to shop local and eat fresh.
Nominees
- Purfleet Pantry, King’s Lynn Collecting surplus food locally to reduce waste.
- Coastal Community Supermarket, North Norfolk Collaborating with local charities and businesses to reduce food miles.
- Sheringham Food Club Working with local growers and incorporating green architecture.
- Caister Community Larder Engaging with local businesses to reduce waste.
Sponsor: The Forum
“The Forum is proud to sponsor The Food Hub Eco Award. The Forum’s programme of free events and festivals provide access to culture and entertainment for everyone, but our work with communities across Norfolk has shown the impact of the cost of living, and we want to be part of the solution to food poverty.”
The Fundraising Award, Sponsored by Together for Mental Wellbeing
In a tough economic climate, people have done amazing things to raise funding for this project they care so passionately about. This award recognises the fundraiser who inspired action to achieve more.
Nominees
- Norfolk Superhero Supporting North Norfolk food hubs through their yearly quadrathlon fundraiser.
- Civic Charity Appeal Creatively engaging the Norwich community to support local hubs.
- Jarrolds Choosing Nourishing Norfolk as their Charity of the Year.
Sponsor: Together for Mental Wellbeing
“Together is the UK’s oldest community mental health charity and was founded in 1879. We believe that people who experience mental distress have the right to live meaningful and fulfilling lives in their community and be free from the harsh impacts of poverty and deprivation.
In Norfolk alone, we support hundreds of people with severe mental illness to access community resources and since the cost-of-living crisis have seen people struggling to make ends meet and will frequently go without food and other essentials. We have found The Nourishing Norfolk Food Hubs to be an essential lifeline for some of the most vulnerable people in society.
Together are very proud to be sponsoring “The Fundraising Award” as we know how important fundraising is to ensure the food hubs are both available and well stocked for those that need them the most. Whilst our ultimate wish would be that there was no need for Food Banks and Hubs; until there is an end to this very real crisis we hope that everyone in society plays their part to support those in need.”
The Norfolk Business that has Gone the Extra Mile, Sponsored by The Norfolk Club
Nourishing Norfolk’s success is due to so many local businesses working to help get their local food hub off the ground. This award recognises exceptional support provided by a business that has helped grow our community.
Nominees
- Belvoir Sales and Lettings Providing ongoing marketing help and staff volunteer hours.
- Norse Group Providing warehouse and logistics support for the whole Nourishing Norfolk Network.
- Nurture Marketing Giving staff time for branding and marketing.
- Felton Fundraising Delivering tailored learning sessions for Nourishing Norfolk food hubs.
Sponsor: The Norfolk Club
“The Norfolk Club is a private members’ club over 250 years old and founded by Norfolk men in the heart of Norwich. It’s members have supported businesses and organisations throughout the County over this long period. It is fitting therefore that with such an established history of promoting the County we should sponsor “The Norfolk Business that has gone the extra mile” award, thereby ensuring the further success of a county we all love and support. It is this extra effort by local businesses that can make a difference to the people of Norfolk. Our congratulations to the deserving winner of this award.”
The Provider that Accelerated Our Support, Sponsored by Brown & Co.
Nourishing Norfolk is about providing food and essential products at an affordable price. This award recognises the provider who has given game changing support through food hubs.
Nominees
- hey girls – Providing period products across our food hubs.
- Booker – Helping provide an affordable and reliable range of store cupboard essentials.
- Easy Cleaning Solutions – Donating surplus supplies to ensure hub members have the dignity of clean clothes & homes.
- Warburtons – Providing regular, reliable, fresh bread products across Breckland.
- Ankosé – Pioneering chilled food provision in Norfolk food hubs, and now beyond.
- Arthur Howell Butchers – Helping supply low-cost food and increasing confidence in cooking skills.
Sponsor: Brown & Co
“As one of the largest providers of farming, land and rural property advice in the country, with 100 employees in Norwich city centre and 300 across our business, we are proud to support the Norfolk Community Foundation. We are committed to supporting the Norfolk Community Foundations objectives and activities, and through our client relationships and our own business, do what we can to help raise the profile for and address the needs of those less fortunate than ourselves and whom are sometimes in need of support.
We should all aspire to do more for the communities we live and work in, and as a major employer in Norwich and Norfolk, we are committed to doing so with the help of the Norfolk Community Foundation.”
As the Civic Charity Appeal 2023/4, we are delighted to be able to offer this magical evening to highlight the amazing achievements of the Nourishing Norfolk network of food hubs and the businesses and individuals who’ve helped to make all of this possible.
We’d like to thank the Lord Mayor and Sheriff of Norwich who provided us with this opportunity by selecting Nourishing Norfolk as the Civic Charity Appeal this year, as well as all of the local awards sponsors who have helped to make this evening possible: Holiday Inn Norwich, The Norfolk Club, Hopestead, Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association, Brown&Co LLP, The Forum Norwich Together for Mental Wellbeing and Chadwicks.
