The Community Food Initiatives (CFI) is a healthy eating programme funded by safefood. The programme runs over a three year cycle (2022-24) and its purpose is to provide people with the knowledge and skills to provide healthy food options for themselves and their families. safefood, as a North / South body established under the Good Friday Agreement, provides CFI funding to organisations in Northern Ireland and in the Republic of Ireland. The programme is managed by SECAD Partnership on behalf of safefood.
CFI at Home
safefood is inviting organisations who are not currently involved in the CFI to apply for funding to deliver an online project, in their own local area, that meets the criteria of the CFI at Home Programme. The purpose of the CFI at Home Programme is to support families in their own homes to develop their cooking skills and healthy eating habits. Projects could include all or some of the following elements:
- Learning how to prepare & cook a recipe
- Attending an online cookery session
- Online support groups for sharing ideas and tips
- Online interactive talks delivered by a dietitian or registered nutritionist
Examples of online projects that were delivered during 2020 and 2021 can be found at this link: CFI Booklet 2019-21
safefood Resources
The resources needed to plan and deliver a CFI at Home project can be found on the safefood website at www.safefood.net/cfi-hub and include:
- 101 Square Meals Recipe Book
- Food Pyramid and The Eatwell Guide
- safefood START campaign
- Handwashing
- Family Meal Planning
- Food Safety
- Healthy Lunchboxes
- Kitchen Skills
Funding
Interested organisations can apply for funding up to a maximum of €2,000 or £1,720 to deliver a project in their local area.
Applicant Organisation Criteria
Organisations must:
- Be community-led organisations with a legal status and appropriate governance structure
- Be experienced in the management of public funds which support social inclusion initiatives
- Currently employ and manage full time professionals with community development experience
- Have experience of working with the target group identified
- Be supporting other broader community initiatives through their work
- Provide supports across communities irrespective of age, race or creed
Preparing an Application
Please contact SECAD Partnership for details on how to apply for the funding at:
Sinéad Conroy
SECAD Partnership CLG
T: 00 353 (0)87 354 3606
E: sconroy@secad.ie
Closing date for application
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis up to and including Friday, 16th September 2023. As funding is limited, interested organisations are advised to apply as soon as possible. All activities must be completed by Sunday, 5th November 2023.