Alexandra Rose charity to host celebration event to mark milestone

The Alexandra Rose Charity runs ten projects in eight locations around the UK, including Barnsley.

In just under ten years, the charity has distributed two million Rose Vouchers for free fruit and veg to families on low incomes.

The charity’s Rose Vouchers for Fruit & Veg Project and the Fruit & Veg on Prescription project helps families and individuals on low incomes to buy fresh fruit and veg with Rose Vouchers and supports them to give their children the healthiest possible start.

Since 2014, Rose Vouchers have supported 9,351 families and 17,380 children to access fresh fruit and veg in their communities from 66 different children centres and community organisations. At the end of May 2023, two million Rose Vouchers will have been given out and spent with 58 different market traders and greengrocers.

To celebrate this important milestone, Alexandra Rose Charity will be hosting an invite-only event in a central location, Barnsley, on Friday 26 May. Families and market traders, as well as the charity’s funders and key dignitaries, will attend.

Jonathan said: “We are incredibly proud of what we have achieved over the last nine years. We started small by testing the Rose Vouchers for Fruit & Veg Project in local communities in London. As news spread of its effectiveness at combating food poverty and promoting healthier diets, we received requests from locations across the UK to expand the project.

“It took us seven years to get to one million vouchers but only 18 months to get to our second million. This shows how quickly the project can be scaled to meet rising demand but also, sadly, is an indictment of the impact of both COVID-19 and the cost-of-living crisis on families on low incomes across the UK.

“Demand for our work still outstrips our capacity, and although we celebrate this milestone, we continue to worry about the huge challenges families face up and down the country. We will continue to collaborate with our brilliant local partners to make sure as many families as possible can have access to healthy, fresh fruit and veg in their local communities.”

The charity says diet-related ill health costs the NHS billions every year, but more importantly, it is limiting the life chances of people on low incomes.

Rachael, a mum from Barnsley who has received Rose Vouchers, said: “Having Rose Vouchers has changed how I do things. Instead of saying, “I can microwave this or put it in the oven”, I cook more from scratch. I get my son more involved with making meals too.

“I buy more variety of fruit and veg now I have the vouchers. Seeing all the fruit & veg displayed nicely lets me see what I want to try. I can offer my son different fruit and veg to try and see what he likes. Rose Vouchers have been a lifesaver.”

Alexandra Rose Charity’s work helps put money back into the town centres in which their projects operate, and this helps communities, not just for those that have access to the Rose Vouchers, but everyone, as these projects pave the way for more people to access more fresh food locally.

Barnsley Markets, which has, in recent years, seen a major renovation as part of the development of The Glass Works, is symbolic of regeneration and investment in the town centre, and, as a venue, aligns perfectly with Alexandra Rose Charity’s vision to help keep money in the local economy.

The charity will continue to support families across the eight Rose Vouchers for Fruit & Veg Project areas over the coming year while building on the recent successful launch of its Fruit & Veg on Prescription Project working with health practitioners and social prescribers to increase access to healthy food for people suffering from long term health conditions.

It is also involved in the national Bridging the Gap Project, that aims to increase access to local, sustainably produced food for those on low incomes. This Project will see several pilots delivered across the UK over the next two years.

Alongside its programme work, Alexandra Rose Charity will continue to advocate for a more equitable food system and make the case to policymakers for the significant role that financial incentives can play in creating a healthier and more sustainable food system.