It has been over a year since I held a meeting with the food banks, a university, drug and alcohol service and the national organization to discuss the issues of food poverty in the Wandsworth. I wasn't even elected at the time, but I was hopeful that a grassroots team could make a difference. Since that point I, successfully, fundraised for a Co-ordinator to run the meetings and then supported another successful bid to the GLA for monies to create a mobile green grocer for Wandsworth.
For me this isn't a new idea and I have been planting the seeds of a mobile greengrocer in people's minds for years, but no one has picked it up. My idea? A van that pulls up to neighborhoods and sells fruit and veg off the back of it - pretty sure this used to happen. This double decker bus is much bigger, but will essentially do the same thing and include a cafe area and a tonne of seating.
Today, 1.5 years after the initial meeting we met with the GLA, funding the majority of the refit to discuss the operation. Although I believe that this meeting was a bit premature because as yet we haven't even found the bus! It was useful as it brought up some differences in opinion in how the bus will be managed and operate as well as lots of kinks to work out, but great to talk the whole project through with the wonderful Jan Kattein and his assistant. We also got to see the first set of plans for the retrofit!
And what will we call it? Green Bus, Your Market, Fruit Stop, Fruit and Veg Bus.....
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