About the South Kent Coast Food Partnership
Our Mission
As a local food partnership, we work together to build community through good food, across Folkestone, Hythe, New Romney & the Marshes.
*“Good” food is part of a regenerative culture, and does not harm the natural environment or the people producing or eating it.
Our Goals
1 - No-one goes hungry
2 - No food wasted
3 - ‘Good food’ contracts for all anchor institutions
4 - Community kitchens with communal cooking & eating spaces
5 - Good food transport & distribution service
6 - Residents are active, empowered ‘food citizens’ & the area is seen as a hub of ‘good food’
7 - Rainwater harvesting & community composting across the district
8 - Young persons in education understand ‘good food’ & environmental justice
Our History
The Partnership is taking a holistic, systems-approach to the challenge, as food is linked to physical health & nutrition, mental health & dignity, farming & production, politics & poverty, supply chains & contracts, education & awareness, and community wellbeing. We draw inspiration from the large number of incredible Sustainable Food Place initiatives across the UK.
The coordinator of the Partnership is currently Alise Kirtley, who is undergoing a PhD in sustainable food systems at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex. Please do get in touch if you have any questions.
The South Kent Coast Food Partnership is the new phase of the Folkestone & Hythe District Food Network (DFN), formed in 2018 by a small group of local community leaders committed to trying to alleviate food poverty, particularly in light of COVID and the cost of living crisis. The network grew over bi-monthly online meetings chaired and supported by the Rainbow Centre, that facilitated information sharing, the creation of a directory of food-related services and collaboration on food initiatives, alongside workshops on food poverty initiatives, including the establishment of a mobile food bank service.
Having focussed successfully on tackling food poverty through emergency food supplies, the DFN members recognised the need to next take on broader themes through a more strategic approach. A large workshop was held in November 2025 in which a new strategic plan was co-created with the aim of providing healthy, sustainably-sourced food available to everyone in the district. The 8 strategic goals we are now working on, is the outcome of this workshop.
The partnership continues to be supported by the Folkestone & Hythe district council, by way of a small stipend to support the coordinator role, and donated time by FHDC Councillors Mike Blakemore to Chair, and Jyotsna Leney to provide ongoing oversight & supervision.
Strategy Group
The current structure as of February 2026, is a Strategy Group + working groups, aligned around our 8 strategic goals.
diagram
Please note that our governance & structure are works in progress – we welcome all suggestions & feedback. Our WIP terms of reference are here.
Process
A Local Food Partnership is about a coming together of multiple people & organisations that have been working hard in their own areas of passion, to create something greater than the sum of our parts. To do it right, these sorts of cross sector initiatives and meaningful relationship-building takes time.
Each organisation’s work continues independently, but together we can slowly and carefully build something more powerful, resilient & long-lasting for our local community, and aim to tackle some of the evidence-based underlying causes of health and social inequalities.