Rose Vouchers: Fruit & Veg on Prescription

In 2022, we launched the UK’s first Fruit & Veg on Prescription Pilots in partnership with the Bromley-by-Bow Centre in Tower Hamlets and the A.T. Beacon Project in Lambeth.

Working with public health teams and local community groups, the aim of the pilots is to help tackle health inequality and food poverty by exploring the viability of Fruit & Veg on Prescription as a long-term solution to tackling diet-related ill-health and food insecurity. In Tower Hamlets, we’re working predominantly with South Asian communities and particularly people from the Bangladeshi community. In Lambeth we are working predominantly with Black African and Caribbean communities. People struggling financially and at risk of diet-related health conditions are ‘prescribed’ vouchers to spend on fresh fruit & vegetables with participating local retailers and market traders. So far, we’ve supported 122 people, along with additional household and family members. Evaluation activities are testing outcomes around participants’ fruit & veg consumption and how this affects their health and wellbeing. Emerging findings include participants: -increasing and diversifying intake of fruit and vegetables; -substituting unhealthy snacks with fruit and vegetables; -making meals go further through ‘bulking out’ with vegetables. -feeling less stressed about money; -improving health and increasing physical activities.