FLAVOURS: Fostering community connections to nature through food

The opportunity

Fostering a sense of connection and belonging to green spaces in the UK can be difficult for people from minority ethnic groups.

Research by Natural England finds that: 

“People from ethnic minority backgrounds can feel or be made to feel ‘out of place’ in many natural environments. The sense of heightened visibility as well as experiences of racism can increase feelings of exclusion and vulnerability in nature spaces and lead to concerns about racial harassment in the natural environment.” 

• Included outside: Engaging people from ethnic minority backgrounds in nature, Natural England 2022.  

And safety isn’t the only barrier for people engaging with nature.

The perception of green spaces and how they’re designed, as well as how people like to spend their leisure time outdoors, also varies between cultures. In order to make our most treasured landscapes a secure and enjoyable place for communities, we need to get creative and inclusive.  

What do we all have in common? Food, glorious food.  

So much about our cultural heritage can be learned through flavours, smells, textures, and cooking traditions.

So what better way to help diverse communities from across Dorset to connect and integrate than through food? 

The project

The FLAVOURS project offers a unique opportunity for UK companies to meet their ESG and philanthropic goals by supporting the continuation of an initiative that uses food to connect people with Dorset’s natural landscapes.

This project aims to make Dorset’s beautiful countryside accessible to ethnically diverse communities, many of whom may not have had the chance to experience it before, through food and arts-related activities that highlight both the natural and cultural heritage of the area.

By supporting FLAVOURS, your company will help to:

• Connect ethnically diverse communities to their local landscapes.
• Strengthen social inclusion, community bonds and sense of place.
• Enhance health and wellbeing through outdoor activities in Dorset’s natural spaces, particularly for those facing barriers.
• Support local food producers and sustainable farming practices.
• Raise awareness of environmental sustainability and the cultural value of Dorset’s landscapes.
• Diversify the supporter base for Dorset’s natural and cultural heritage, helping conserve and enhance it and develop more equitable access to it for future generations.

Your investment will help fund a variety of activities that use food to connect people with the landscape and sense of place, including:

• Community outings: Organising outdoor visits to the Dorset National Landscape with shared lunches and creative animation, that bring diverse communities together to experience Dorset’s landscapes, building connections through shared experiences.
• Farm-to-table experiences: Arranging visits to local farms and food producers, where people can learn about sustainable farming and see how food production is connected to the land.
• Cooking classes: Running outdoor cooking sessions with locally sourced ingredients, encouraging healthy eating and a deeper appreciation for Dorset’s produce while linking food to the land it comes from.
• Community development: Funding staff to engage with diverse communities, ensuring the events are inclusive and accessible, and food becomes a way to deepen the connection to Dorset’s spaces and place. Build skills to organise independent visits to the countryside by providing resources for skill-building, cultural exchange and educational activities.

Find out more about the project's progress so far.

Key outputs

• More people from ethnically diverse communities connecting with Dorset’s landscapes through outdoor activities.
• Greater awareness and appreciation of Dorset’s landscape, local food production, and the cultural significance of its spaces.
• Stronger community cohesion through shared experiences in Dorset’s natural and cultural settings.
• Promotion of healthier lifestyles and a deeper, more sustainable connection with nature.
• Support for local food producers, sustainable agriculture, and the local food economy.
• Preservation of Dorset’s cultural and environmental heritage for future generations.

Talk to use about how we can measure these outputs which can be tailored to the needs and interests of your business.

Partners

Dorset National Landscape will be the primary partner for this project, working in collaboration with local food producers, community organisations, and environmental groups.

The Dorset National Landscape team works in collaboration with Dorset Race Equality Council, Activate Performing Arts, BPC Asian Community and Dorset Food & Drink in delivery.

We work with local food producers, artists and creatives, community organisations and environmental groups to ensure wide engagement and inclusivity.

Keen to discuss this opportunity?

Reach out to the team today.