Food is vitally important for young people, supporting their growth, health, and wellbeing. Despite this, one in five young people in the UK are in families that have struggled to access or pay for food.
Our research reveals the impact of food partnerships across the UK and how they can support young people. This builds on our 2024 report, A Recipe for Success, which heard from 45,000 young people — 23% of whom said they couldn’t access healthy food in their community.
Over 95% of local authorities in the UK responded to our FOI request on their involvement with their food partnership. Only 28% confirmed they were involved in a food partnership that directly benefits young people and only 13% involve young people in their strategic design or delivery.
We interviewed seven local food partnerships and conducted focus groups with 22 young people. Transport costs, scheduling conflicts, and rigid structures were identified as barriers to young people's involvement in food partnerships.
Co-op and Barnardo’s are calling on the UK Government to use its forthcoming National Food Strategy to set out plans to ensure there is a food partnership in every area by 2030.
A Recipe for Success
This report focusses on one of the key foundations young people need to thrive: access to food. Young people tell us that getting good, nutritious food, in the places and spaces that work for them is key to them getting on in life.
Why involving young people in decisions about their lives is a recipe for success
Our joint report with Co-op, "A Recipe for Success: How Children and Young People Want to Access Food in Their Communities", reflects on young people’s views and experiences of accessing food. Here, Ali Cooper, our Senior Policy Advisor on Child Poverty, shares some of what is in the report and explains why it’s important that young people's voices are included in decisions about their lives.
Driving positive futures
Co-op and Barnardo’s are working together to raise money to support positive futures for young people. We’re delivering in-person support in local communities that need it most alongside online support content created by young people, for young people, on social media platforms like TikTok.