Outline proposal for a ‘November Food Gathering’ (notes prepared following 14 9 13 meeting)
outline prepared by Angela Raffle and Kristin Sponsler
Background
In Spring 2014 the BBC will host its Food and Farming awards in Bristol with an event at the Colston
Hall. A steering group is helping shape plans for a fortnight of food-related events coinciding with
the awards. Many organisations, businesses, charities, community groups, networks, partnerships,
entrepreneurs, activists will potentially have ideas and plans for generating positive publicity,
running events and promotions, hosting visits to food projects, and so on.
Why do we need a November Gathering?
Bristol’s Food Policy Council is keen to foster connections and conversations that help promote and
enable the aims of the Bristol Good Food Charter. A gathering of invited delegates in November will
help us make the most of this great opportunity. It can help synergise, link and coordinate activities.
It can help avoid duplication of effort and gain stronger shared publicity for example by creating a
shared programme, publicity materials and an event website. We can ensure that the food fortnight
complements the plans for 2014 Big Green Week rather than competing with them.
Key aims of a November Gathering are to;
 Launch the Food Policy Council’s vision and Food Plan
 Publicise the BBC Spring event and fortnight
 Gain commitment to making things happen in the BBC fortnight
 Generate an outline timetable/programme with an action list for driving things forward
Who would co-host the November gathering
The organisations that have already agreed to co-host it or are in the process of being approached
are; The Food Policy Council, the Bristol Food Network, the BBC, Bristol Green Capital, the Bristol
Pound, Transition Bristol, the Soil Association, and Eat Drink Bristol-Fashion.
What kind of an event are we planning?
The plan is for a morning event, on a weekday, in November, in a central Bristol venue with good
acoustics (City Hall, or ?at BBC), 9.30 until 1pm, run using ‘Open Space’ meeting method. The
invitees will be everyone on the BBC steering group, plus people involved in projects that are already
pushing the Good Food agenda, plus key influencers from a range of relevant sectors. Overall
number of delegates is likely to be between 40 and 60. The session will begin with presentation of
the Food Plan and vision, a showing of the Good Food animation (in production), and explanation of
the BBC event. Then we will move into an Open Space session devoted to the question ‘What do I
want to make happen in the food fortnight 2014’.
The costs we need to find are roughly £4.3k;
£2,500 project management to get invites out, chased up, and the event run smoothly and a write
up produced (8 person days at £250 day rate plus £500 sundry costs)
£1,500 room hire and refreshments (ideally done by Fare Share SW)
£300 Open Space facilitator
Next steps – talk to all co-hosts, doodle key people (including facilitator) for a date, find the money,
draw up list of invitees, send out invite, run it, write up and send out the actions.
Dr Angela E Raffle
Consultant in Public Health
(sustainability and wider determinants of health)
[email protected]