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Citizens’ voices are a powerful part of The Food Foundation’s work. Our Food Ambassador programme consists of a community of citizens from across the UK who are passionate about changing the food system.

Crucially, the programme aims to amplify the voices of people with lived experience of food insecurity in decision-making processes, research and the media so we worked with eight Food Ambassadors on a Photo-Storytelling Project to bring light to the realities behind the statistics in the 2025 Broken Plate report.  

The project was inspired by the work of PhotoVoice, an organisation that supports the design and delivery of participatory photography, digital storytelling and self-advocacy projects for underrepresented or issue-affected groups. Using the medium of photography, the Food Ambassadors have described their food environments in order to convey their personal perspectives of the broken food system.

Across these pieces, the theme of food insecurity is consistent, intertwining with fuel poverty, housing, parenthood, culture, disability, nutrition and health. Each set of photographs is captioned and accompanied by an audio recording. To understand the ambassadors’ work, take time to read the captions and listen to their voices. The photographs alone only tell part of the story.

Caroline, Stockport

Hey I'm Caroline, a down to earth, happy, grateful, straight-to-the-point person, a mum to three amazing children with a career of children's entertainment under my belt. I want to see healthier food in schools and for families who struggle, including those of us who home school (as I do for my little boy who has learning difficulties). As a child I couldn't make a big difference, or speak up - having a very poorly parent meant I went without. As an adult I put my energy into ensuring children and adults don't go without. I want an end to sugary baby foods, I want more affordable nutritious options and better support to families on low incomes. I believe in working together: we can push for healthier options and better quality! We are louder, bolder and stronger, together!

Use the audio player below to listen to Caroline speak about their work.

Shelves full of brightly coloured children's snacks
Fruit with a book reading "Piece of My Heart"
Shelves full of colourful children's snacks and foods

Packaging made so colourful and bright
Made to look like a special delight
This grabs your attention and the children's too
But the sugar inside is hidden, that's true 

This really isn't affordable food  
And the sugars inside aren't good for the brood 
Where are the real healthy snacks? 
The food that's good isn't in colourful packs 

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Dan White, Fareham

Dan is a proud dad to his National Diversity Award winning daughter Emily who is a wheelchair user. On top of being a carer, children’s author, columnist, and broadcaster on the issues of Disability and care, he is also a policy and campaigns officer at Disability Rights UK. Dan is also neurodivergent and speaks about the challenges of having hidden disabilities in a disabling society. 

Use the audio player below to listen to Dan speak about their work.

Broken wheel chair in front of shelves of tinned food

Poverty is nothing new for the Disabled community. Poverty has always been a constant for many who have a disability. Stereotypes, low benefits, societal neglect, political disdain, discrimination – poverty is nothing new.  

And food poverty is part of this. Right now, many Disabled people are skipping meals because households with a Disabled person are more likely to experience food insecurity than those without.  

Food insecurity for Disabled people means being unable to afford food and as a result having smaller meals than usual or skipping meals; being hungry but not eating because of food costs; or not eating for a whole day. For someone with complex health needs, this can be catastrophic. Pushing people back to low paid, precarious work is not a route out of poverty.  

Confidence and pride are finally broken when the only option is the foodbank. 

For Disabled people, foodbanks are often not able to meet their needs at all despite their best efforts. There can be physical barriers to access, where they cannot travel to a foodbank, or even barriers to physically access the foodbank. Foodbanks are often unable to cater to specific dietary requirements which are more common among Disabled people, often resulting in a worsening of people’s health. 

So, the circle of poverty around food, of access to food, of financial ability to buy food, goes around and around. 

Foodbanks are not the solution. Targeted support and co-operation with the community is. The alternative is a humanitarian crisis on our doorstep. 

‘This image shows the brutal reality of disability food poverty. It shows that poverty has always been a constant for the Disabled community. The broken chair represents broken spirit, broken promises from the political system to improve their lives for the better. The shelves are stacked, but for someone with a physical disability, always too high, too far out of reach, much like the better life always promised… but never delivered. Never, ever, ever delivered.’ 

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Emma Loffler, London

Emma is a single parent of three boys, who works as a welfare benefits advisor at a small charity in Barnet. On top of her work as a mother she has built a career in social justice, working with asylum seekers, refugees, single parents, disabled people, young offenders, domestic violence victims and other vulnerable parties. Emma has a degree in law and a BA in social anthropology, from before her sons were born, from Cambridge University. After lived experience of homelessness, she has participated in activist work with Shelter, Gingerbread and Heard. She has been a Food Foundation ambassador since December 2023. Emma believes tackling food poverty relies on recognising domestic labour as work and the destigmatisation of the benefits system. Her sons are called Dante, Beau and Charlie. 
Emma photos left to right: A drying rack full of clothes by a flat window, Some veg on a wooden chopping board balanced precariously by a sink, piles of dirty dishes stacked on a hob

Food issues intersect with poverty issues, which relate to housing, space and the complete non-recognition of unpaid domestic labour. This government and former governments have put an emphasis on ‘work’ above all else, whilst completely failing to recognise the time and energy that goes into preparing healthy food. Forcing single parents back to work has a detrimental effect on their ability to provide for their children.

Unpaid domestic labour is the backbone of society and provides for us all. If we want to move towards a healthy and sustainable diet and future for our children, we need to recognise this and ensure that mothers are adequately provided for when it comes to money and housing. At the moment, the housing crisis and the complete stigmatisation of the benefits system means providing adequately for our children is a pipe dream. 

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Glory Omoaka, Glasgow

Glory Omoaka is a mum of two, an activist and an agent of change who has sat at a roundtable and kitchen table with politicians, local authorities, community members and charities organisations especially refugee-led organisations to accelerate changes in the things that matters to us all as a community and society in general.  She works in the healthcare sector because of her passion to help the vulnerable. She has used her lived experience and my voice to contribute to changes. 

Because she loves cooking, and healthy food that is acceptable, available and affordable, she has decided to join other Food Ambassadors to challenge and contribute to policies that will ensure a sustainable food system that is delivered in a dignified manner. 

Use the audio player below to listen to Glory speak about their work.

Two colourful plates of food: on the left fish with a tomatoe sauce and on the right Lamb and rice
A plate of Jamaican paties on the left and on the right a colourful salad

The lack of culturally appropriate food in schools influences dietary behaviour. I wanted to show what a healthy food environment looks like through my photos: when culture meets nutrition.

When these healthy choices are unavailable, unaffordable, inaccessible and unappetising, people will go for food lower in nutritional value. Children skip lunch at school because the offering doesn’t align with their cultural needs. This will hinder their learning and development.

Policymakers can create a fairer UK by fostering a healthier food environment. A government that supports culturally appropriate Free School Meals fosters inclusivity, respect for diversity, and better nutrition for low-income families. I also want to see the government support communities with grants that fund food education and allow people to grow and cook their own food. This is not just about diet – it’s about cultural diversity through food, which can also educate people, especially children, about different cultures and skills.

We want thriving and cohesive communities, and this can only happen when we include everyone. 

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Magda Rechnio, Liverpool

A single mum who experienced food insecurity in the past (as a young adult and a parent). What helps her to navigate the convoluted food environment are her knowledge in nutrition and budgeting skills. Nevertheless, being a registered Associate Nutritionist while living in a deprived area is not enough - she wants to see less junk food around as both she and her daughter see the impact of it. She would like the school food to be nutritionally adequate, also food lessons in schools to teach practical skills reflecting the current reality, and healthier food to be the cheaper, easier and fairer option. 

Use the audio player below to listen to Magda speak about ther work.

A box of bright and colourful fruits and veg
Left to right: Abox of mangos, A junk food advert on a bus stop, bags of carrots

In 21st century Liverpool: affordable fresh fruit and vegetables in shops should not be an exception.  

In 21st century Liverpool: spoiled and mouldy fruit and vegetables in shops shouldn't be a norm (they are near me).  

In 21st century Liverpool: the closest greengrocers shouldn’t be 2.2 miles away from home.  

In 21st century Liverpool: everyone should be able to afford to buy vegetables and fruit from the greengrocers. 

In 21st century Liverpool: we should not be teased with junk food advertising ‘delicious new choices’ and free junk food (buy one get one free) which are high in fat, sugar and salt.  

In 21st century Liverpool: junk food should not be cheaper and easier to obtain than nutritious food.  

Make healthier options more appealing, and ban junk food advertising in physical and online environments. 

A series of images of junk food advertisments on bus stops, phone boxes and other places around the highstreet

Hungry?

The healthier option costs nearly £1 more than ‘pizza happiness’ or a ‘rise and shine’ bacon bap. It costs £1.46 more than the double cheeseburger! In a year, choosing the healthier ‘budget’ option 5 days a week could add up to from £216 to over £350. 

In 21st century Britain: we should not be bombarded with junk food advertising on the streets, in stores, on TV, online and on our phones – especially not our children. 

Get rid of the gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest regions by investing in healthier food for all.  

Invest in Britain: help us afford and access nutritious food, alleviate pressure on the NHS and build a better food future for all. 

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Wena Isename, Edinburgh

My name is Wena, an adult ambassador based in Glasgow. I volunteer at a foodbank, and this opened up my interest on what is good food? What is nutritious and why good and nutritious food is the key for good health. As an advocate, I strive for policies making this food affordable and available, educating the end users (consumers) on the need.

Use the audio player below to listen to Wena speak about ther work.

A silver car driving past at speed

Decision:

On one side you have food insecurity depicted as a bare and dry tree, while on the other, a luscious thriving tree depicts a society where consumers, our health and environment are prioritized. The building behind the trees signifies the closed walls of the government, making decisions for us. Their eyes are open and yet we are not seen. The cars on the road signify us: knocking on the doors of the government, saying ‘let us in, we deserve a seat at the table’. 

The same apple appears 3 time in different states of eaten

Choices:

When it comes to the basic necessities of life – including food – the government, businesses and postcodes decide for us. The three apples signify this reality: the whole apple signifies big food corporations who decides on procurement, supply and demand; the apple with a small bite signifies the government who makes the choices of affordability and availability; and the threadbare apple signifies the consumers who suffer the fate of the choices. 

A zero waste store. Rows of dispensers of pulses, grains and nuts

Measurement:

‘Eat, shop according to your need, avoid waste’ – an ideal and appealing future, and unaffordable and unavailable present. 

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Kathleen Kerridge - Portsmouth

Kathleen Kerridge is a married mum of four, and proud grandmother, as well as an office manager and freelance writer from Portsmouth. Kathleen has been campaigning against Food Insecurity since January 2015 when she personally faced the realities of Food Poverty in modern Britain.

Use the audio player below to listen to Kathleen speak about their work.

On the left: a picture of a plate of sausage and chips that can be afforded with 50p surrounded by medications and a heart attach informational leaflet. On the right a £5 pound healthy meal of salmon potatoes and salad
On the left: 6 plates of sausage and chips, enough for a family and the packaging On the right: the food in trays after coming out of the oven

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) costs the NHS £7.4 billion and the economy an estimated £15.8 billion a year in England. The NHS puts eating a healthy diet as the number one way to prevent CVD and heart attacks.

When the costs are so high, why is it so hard to afford a healthy diet? Increase benefits, increase wages, improve health. Make food affordable and a healthy population follows. 

Dominic Watters - Kent

Dominic Watters comes from the most deprived blocks of his council estate. He has used his experiences of the daily realities of poverty as a single dad to help inform discussions about fuel and food insecurity in the UK, developing the concept of “living experience” (Watters, D. p5 2021) to stress the urgencies and tensions of the inequalities faced by so many. Through his campaign and now CIC, Food is Care, Dominic identified gaps in social work frameworks and worked tirelessly to raise awareness of the professions’ shortcomings towards the most disadvantaged in society. He regularly appears in the media, using every platform he can access to speak up for the marginalised and often unheard. His evidence to the House of Lords Food, Diet and Obesity Select Committee is heavily quoted in their Recipe for Health: How to Fix Our Broken Food System report (2024-25). Widely regarded as a voice of poverty, Dominic is currently doing a PhD at the University of Southampton whilst working as a community-based researcher on a project building UK food system resilience. 

Use the audio player below to listen to Dominic speak about their work.

A picture of Dominic's block from the outside

We live in the most deprived blocks of this council estate, where our access to nutrition is overlooked.

A picture of the small shop on Dominic's estate

The shop on the estate only sells the lowest quality of ultra-processed food, making this a food desert in the Garden of England.

Dominic's electric meter with 49p remaining

This is what fuel poverty looks like – regularly we don't have enough gas or electric to cook with raw ingredients.

A picture of a derelict bus stop on Dominic's estate

This is where the bus never shows up. It's hard to make it out of here.

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Broken Plate 2025 report
Featured Report:
The Broken Plate 2025
The Food Foundation's 2025 Broken Plate report examines the state of the nation's food industry
Learn more

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