Our Phase 1 project demonstrated that, not only is Probation a key service of the Foundational Economy but also that people on probation can be key workers in it themselves.  this is achieved by increasing the capacity for innovation and sustainability of organisations working in and with the Foundational Economy, specifically those in the "Austerity Food Retail" sector.

The foundational economy is that part of the economy that creates and distributes goods and services that we all rely on for everyday life and without which the rest of the economy could not function at all.

Food is foundational to the foundational economy and "austerity food retail" (AFR) is that part of it which people in food poverty rely on for their everyday food needs - local pantries, social supermarkets and other forms of cooperative and community shops offering highly discounted products to people in food poverty. They usually make use of donated and surplus/rejected foods which would otherwise be thrown away. However, demand is rapidly outstripping supply of surplus food for AFR and much of it is of poor quality anyway and if it is the sole source of food available it can become detrimental to good health.

Our Phase 1 project in 2023/4 successfully provided Stockport Homes' austerity food retailer "Your Local Pantry" https://www.yourlocalpantry.co.uk/  with proof  of concept of a sustainable way of overcoming these challenges. It created a means of retailing more locally produced non-surplus healthy food to its members to supplement the dwindling supplies of often poor-quality surplus and donated food available to them, without having to raise their weekly membership fees to pay for it.  Phase 1 did this by working with people on probation who are subject to an Unpaid Work requirement of a Community Order ("Community Payback") – CP -  to:

• grow fresh seasonal fruit, vegetables, and salads on unused/under-used public land in Stockport for onward donation to the Pantries.
• assess the feasibility of manufacturing value-added food products from the produce grown for onward donation to the Pantries.

Our new Phase 2 project (April 2024 to June 2025) builds directly on Phase 1 aims and deliverables by

• Building on our model/business plan, of using CP to grow fresh produce for donation to the pantries to generate new income streams from commercial production. Income from commercial production will enable them to bulk-buy their own supplies of locally produced non-surplus healthy food to supplement the dwindling supplies of surplus.
• Rolling out the Model at a further 3 sites in Stockport, Manchester and Trafford, thus supplying AFR in Greater Manchester with locally produced healthy non-surplus fresh food free of charge.
• Enhancing the model with the commercial production of mushrooms, further facilitating the manufacture of value-added food products from the produce grown in the form of:
• Frozen healthy ready meal production at each hub, also for onward donation to AFR.
• Using mushrooms as a meat substitute from freshly grown mushrooms at each hub for use in the ready meals.
• developing training and progression routes into employment in the food and retail sectors of the Foundational Economy for people successfully completing their Community Payback on the project - helping plug the ‘skills gap’ in the food and retail sectors of the Foundational Economy.