Happy tears: A Knowledge is Power case study of Dunterlie Foodshare

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This case study shows how, with the support of Knowledge is Power, Dunterlie Foodshare successfully completed community-led action research during the Covid-19 pandemic, exploring the benefits, and challenges, of involvement in the Foodshare for local people, services and volunteers. The case study highlights a less-well-discussed benefit of community-led action research, in that the research helped the group to recognise and celebrate the value of their involvement and hard-work.

Background

Since 2019, Dunterlie Foodshare has been run by a group of volunteers from Dunterlie supported by Corra Foundation and East Renfrewshire Council’s communities team. They were supported by Knowledge is Power to develop and carry out research to learn more about how they could support the community and also to highlight the value of the Foodshare.

This challenge of Covid-19 was turned into an opportunity, and Dunterlie Foodshare incorporated learning from the experience of the pandemic into their research. Using mixed methods, including a survey and a graphic facilitation exercise, the group produced a report highlighting how volunteering at the Foodshare had positively impacted on their lives. The report also provided information on priorities and gaps in food provision which Dunterlie Foodshare can use going forward.

How the project developed

It all seemed straightforward enough. In 2019, Dunterlie Foodshare successfully applied to the Knowledge is Power programme with the intention of reviewing the service they had provided so far, identifying gaps in provision and how the community could be better supported by the Foodshare. Accordingly, Knowledge is Power began supporting the group to plan how they would do this.

But then, of course, the Covid-19 pandemic hit, throwing plans into disarray. The Foodshare was forced to stop on the 13th March 2020 when lockdown measures led to the closure of the community centre from which the Foodshare operated. Foodshare volunteers were then invited by East Renfrewshire Council to help assist in the running of the humanitarian hub which was set up in the community centre in Spring 2020, to deliver food and other supplies to people who needed them.

Despite having no premises from which to run, Dunterlie Foodshare continued to be in touch with the community during the pandemic, building on connections they have made through the project in the past. A lot of advice and support was delivered online, and the group found that volunteering increased.

The Foodshare ended up being vital in ensuring the hub reached those who need supplies. They provided a list of people who would need assistance, which was essential in helping the hub reach the right people. The Foodshare also continued to direct people to the humanitarian hub.

The experience of linking up with the humanitarian hub led Dunterlie Foodshare to adapt the focus of their research abd explore what was unique about the Foodshare in comparison with other services, including what local residents of Dunterlie gained from volunteering there.

To start with, and with the support of the Corra Community Co-ordinator in Dunterlie, the group organised a graphic facilitation session to capture the experience and value of volunteering at the Foodshare. This consisted of a semi-structured discussion among volunteers which was captured remotely by a graphic facilitator. The resulting poster can be viewed below.

The Magic of volunteering at Dunterlie Foodshare was captured by a Graphic Facilitation Artist. Click image to view in full

In an attempt to gain more knowledge from the users of the Foodshare, one of the volunteers, Rena McGuire BEM, constructed a questionnaire with a few questions. This gathered quantitative data such as how frequently people visited the Foodshare, and the questionnaire also asked open-ended questions such as what other products households would like to receive.

Another volunteer, Lynn Norris, took the lead in writing a research report. This combined survey data with other evidence, including a series of first-hand accounts from volunteers on what the Foodshare meant to them. The final report can be viewed here.

Finally, a promotional video was developed, explaining to local residents and others what the FoodShare is and how to make use of it. This can be viewed above in the accompanying video.


Challenges

The Covid-19 pandemic hampered initial progress, with the group having no base to operate from. Then, when this situation changed, the group found themselves busy supporting the community-led effort to support people during Covid-19.

In October 2020, Dunterlie Foodshare was given the go ahead by East Renfrewshire Council to run as a follow-on service to the humanitarian hub, which was now winding down. This ensured food was still getting out to those in need. However, strict operating conditions had to be in place. Only the caretaker and Foodshare volunteers were allowed into the centre. The Corra Foundation’s Community Co-ordinator couldn’t come in, and risk assessments had to be carried out.

Admirably, the group made the most of their situation, using their research to explore themes that were emerging from the local Covid-19 support effort, including the support volunteers were able to provide each other during this difficult time.

The personal diaries were particularly useful as a means of capturing the experience of volunteering during the pandemic. The diaries help to show the magic of Dunterlie Foodshare, both from the perspective of a volunteer and as a recipient of food parcels.

Graphic facilitation was another practical solution to overcoming the challenge of conducting research during lockdown. The volunteers were able to gather in the centre, observing social distancing rules, while the graphic facilitator listened and observed over a videocall. Volunteers picked photos and discussed why they were relevant to them, which enabled the graphic facilitator to capture, in real time, the positive experience of the Foodshare on the poster.

 

Findings

The survey highlighted how highly regarded the Foodshare is by those who use it, and also confirmed that most households were provided with the items they require. Some households clearly benefited from the service on a regular basis, including those who didn’t, or were unable to, make use of the humanitarian hub during the Covid-19 pandemic.

There was a mixed level of awareness of how the Foodshare worked and where the provisions came from. The group has found this knowledge very useful in order to look at how the service can be improved.

“This was the first feedback form we have created for the Foodshare and will be used again in the future with alternative questions.” (Quote from Dunterlie Foodshare Knowledge is Power report)

Through the research, the group was able to identify two key ways in which the Foodshare can be described as being ‘magic’. On the one hand, much of the magic of the Foodshare stems from the vital support it provides local families. The other magical aspect of the Foodshare is how much it has benefitted volunteers. The first-hand accounts provided in the volunteers’ personal diaries highlight how volunteering at the Foodshare has positively impacted on people’s lives, making them feel valued, improving their mental health and providing them with much-needed companionship during a difficult time.

 

Impact

Dunterlie Foodshare was able to complete their research project during an incredibly challenging couple of years. The research report is a valuable resource, and will be used by the Knowledge is Power programme as a great example of community-led action research.

The Magic of Dunterlie Foodshare report and promotional video have been shared at a variety of events. The engaging video and poster are potentially useful in helping to recruit future volunteers.

The Magic of Dunterlie Foodshare report - click on image to download

The Knowledge is Power work has helped the  Foodshare continue to work to reduce poverty and build connections in Dunterlie and Barrhead 2022, whilst the community recovers from the effects of the pandemic and faces up to the challenge of the cost of living crisis.

Learning and reflecting

The volunteers at Dunterlie Foodshare did a very admirable job getting their research completed during an exceptionally challenging time. Once they were able to start up again, the group was able to take advantage of having a base from which to operate in order to meet and co-ordinate activities. They were also able to turn the challenges presented by lockdown into an opportunity by examining the unique benefits the Foodshare provided to community members and volunteers during the pandemic.

Support was a crucial to the success of the research. Local day-to-day support was available from the Corra Foundation, as part of their wider support to the group. The Corra community development worker kept the group on track and organised activities such as the graphic facilitation session. This was paid for through the £5000 support costs provided by Corra to the group, as was the design of the final research report. SCDC provided advice and encouragement remotely, and also edited the final report. Due to lockdown, all of SCDC’s support, and a significant amount of Corra’s support, was provided online. This was a challenge for everyone but, to their credit, Dunterlie Foodshare remained fully engaged throughout.

Dunterlie Foodshare showed that community-led action research can help a group recognise and validate the great work they are doing.  This includes the support members of the group provide each other.

“Every one of us got something from this experience and I’m pretty sure most of us ended up in happy tears. In particular, we discovered how close a bond we had formed during the pandemic.” (Dunterlie Foodshare describe the experience of taking part in graphic facilitation - from their Knowledge is Power research report).

It is also important that the research has impact beyond the group, and there are a range of ways in which the research outputs should benefit the community. Dunterlie received some useful feedback from Foodshare recipients, and the poster and report both highlight the value and enjoyment of volunteering to others in the community who could potentially volunteer in future.

More needs to be done to ensure the valuable learning is built on, and this case study will hopefully help to ensure this happens.

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