Dear John

As you will probably know, Church Action on Poverty has been a leading partner
in the End Hunger UK campaign over the last few years. We're very grateful to
our supporters for how you've got actively involved in the campaign with us.

We wanted to share with you this announcement from the partners in the End
Hunger UK coalition:

End Hunger UK is in the process of reviewing our strategy and plans. The
political context has changed, and many of the organisations which are partners
in End Hunger are adjusting their plans and ways of working to reflect it. We
are therefore taking time to review the partnership that drives End Hunger UK,
and refresh our approach.

We will make an announcement soon to let all our supporters know what we decide.
In the meantime, we’d like to take a moment to reflect on all we have achieved
together in End Hunger UK.

WORKING FOR A UK WHERE NO ONE HAS TO GO TO BED HUNGRY
Over the past three years, we have achieved notable successes, not least:

* A growing recognition by charities and the public that the root causes of
hunger are insufficient household income and an inadequate social safety net.
* A commitment by the UK Government to measure household food insecurity. The
first data is currently being collected, and due for publication in the first
quarter of 2021. This was confirmed by the new Government last month
[[link removed]] .
* The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan also adopting this commitment as a flagship
policy in the Greater London Authority’s refreshed London Food Strategy.
* The Government providing £2m in funding for school holiday food and activity
programmes. A further £9m was committed to the programme for 2020 last month
[[link removed]] .
* An extra £1.7 billion of measures announced in the 2018 Budget because of
greatly increased awareness of the impact of Universal Credit on family
incomes.
* Significant collaborative action between partners, led by Sustain, to
highlight the threat to household food insecurity from a no-deal Brexit,
wining £2m from Welsh and Scottish Governments (but not Westminster) to help
buy food for the most vulnerable.
* A marked shift in the approaches taken by influential End Hunger UK partner
organisations, based on our common understanding of the unique role and
strengths of each in stimulating public and parliamentary recognition and
achieving change. * The Trussell Trust has moved from being a delivery-focused food bank
network, towards being an advocate for people experiencing financial and
personal crisis, vocally campaigning for ‘upstream’ measures such as an
end to the five-week wait on Universal Credit.
* The Independent Food Aid Network (IFAN) has established itself as a vocal
and effective contributor to the debate, providing a fuller picture of the
extent and depth of need across the UK, as well as a channel for the
voices of some of the most marginalised communities.
* Church Action on Poverty has developed a high level of expertise on
involving ‘experts by experience’ in advocacy and decision-making, and has
helped many more people experiencing food insecurity to voice concerns to
those in a position to make a difference.
* Nourish Scotland, working with Oxfam GB, the Poverty Alliance and Child
Poverty Action Group Scotland, has greatly developed its Menu for Change
approach, working in locality to develop an effective whole-systems-based
response to food poverty and vulnerability.
* The Food Foundation has established the Children’s Future Food Inquiry,
influencing decision-makers by bringing voices and concerns of young
people to the fore.
* Sustain has built momentum for notable changes within London, the
Sustainable Food Cities Network and Food Power network, shifting the
emphasis of local authority and community responses to those that look
‘Beyond the Food Bank’.
* Over 18,000 individuals and 140 groups have taken action as part of End
Hunger UK: signing petitions, writing to their MPs, attending conferences,
or organising photo stunts and other events.

The work to create a society where everyone has access to good food, and no one
has to go to bed hungry, will continue. We’ll share more news soon.

Best wishes

Niall Cooper
Director of Church Action on Poverty and chair of End Hunger UK

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