Working in collaboration with a local foodbank in Gateshead

When I joined the HDRC I wanted to become active in the community to better understand what was happening in response to poverty. I visited the local foodbank where, as a weekly volunteer, I got involved with every aspect of their work including packing parcels, restocking shelves and helping with supermarket collections.

This approach allowed me to become embedded in the foodbank, where I saw first-hand the challenges local communities are facing. Through observations, conversations with volunteers, and by building trusting relationships, I was able to start asking volunteers, trustees and staff what research they felt would be most helpful.

Through chatting over numerous cups of coffee, over many months, we collectively agreed that poor physical and mental health, and particularly oral health, of foodbank clients was a primary concern.  From this we together went on to design and plan a piece of research, using semi-structured interviews, to better understand the health needs of this group.

When completed I hope from this work that staff, volunteers and the wider community will see a tangible, positive impact directly because of the research. As well as building a better understanding of the physical, mental and overall wellbeing of clients, we want to ask for their views on what can be done to improve their health, so we can use that information to shape the support offered through the foodbank and provide practical health-based interventions that respond to immediate need.

I also hope this work helps to highlight the impact of the foodbank and enables volunteers to see how much their vital work supporting the people of Gateshead is valued’

For more information, please contact Dr Kate Haddow, Health Determinants Research Lead, Gateshead Council, email: KateHaddow@gateshead.gov.uk 

This learning story was prepared with support from NIHR RSS Specialist Centre for Public Health delivered by Newcastle University and Partners. With thanks to HDRC Gateshead for providing the content.