Burges Salmon, the Bristol-headquartered national law firm, is supporting a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for community food projects in the city and help them fight food insecurity.
Bristol Local Food Fund (BLFF), which was founded in July 2020 during the first lockdown and is run by volunteers, is aiming to raise £100,000 by the end of this month. 
More than £15,000 was committed to the campaign before its launch last month, with Burges Salmon donating £10,000.
More than 40 Bristol local independent food and drink businesses are offering rewards to the campaign to encourage donations, including Harts Bakery, Better Food, Wiper and True, Bristol Squeezed and Essential Trading.
Campaign organisers plan to build on Bristol’s community response to Covid-19 and unite the city in tackling a problem that affects more than 10,000 households.
Working in partnership with Bristol City Council, Feeding Bristol, Bristol Food Network, Bristol City Funds and Burges Salmon, they hope to set up longer-term funding streams to make the BLFF a constant source of support to Bristol’s communities so that everyone can access good quality, culturally appropriate, affordable food.
According City Council data, one-in-20 households in Bristol experience ‘moderate to severe’ food insecurity, meaning they are unable to get enough good quality food to maintain healthy levels of nutrition.
The BLFF will set up longer-term funding streams to ensure a constant source of support to Bristol’s communities.
Food insecurity is more severe for people in the more economically deprived areas of Bristol. It also disproportionately affects those from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds, disabled people, single parents and young people.
Burges Salmon said playing a lead role in the campaign built on the firm’s long-standing commitment to responsible business and offered an opportunity to achieve deeper collaboration with its communities to work together to end food insecurity.
Burges Salmon senior associate and head of community engagement Jamie Cameron said: “We are excited to support the Bristol Local Food Fund’s new innovative and collaborative approach – working with partners all across the city and directly with communities and people affected by food insecurity.
“Our people raised £10,000, which we hope will help launch the Bristol Local Food Fund’s fundraising campaign to ensure that everyone has access to healthy affordable food.”
The project was started by Michael Lloyd-Jones, who has worked and volunteered in Bristol’s third sector for more than 10 years.
