Case Study: a recipe for LINKS  

The LINKS project began in the coastal town of Eyemouth in the Scottish Borders. It started as a small NHS-based project to support families to learn ways of eating healthily with the challenges of busy family life, low budgets and reduced access to facilities. Local families soon embraced the project and input their own ideas, building connections and knowledge as time went on. The LINKS concept is around healthy eating but also reducing waste and energy, and thinking about where food comes from.

We frequently plan sessions or recipe bags around surplus food available from the Community Larder. The project has also introduced families to some local suppliers and thinking about the benefits of eating local, seasonal food. Working in partnership with groups such as Abundant Borders and ReTweed, families have built up a strong supportive community. 

Climate change is a very real feature of life in Eyemouth. As a coastal town it has been profoundly affected by storms over the last few years, with roads cut off, power supplies affected, houses damaged and supermarkets closing. People also witnessed the sad loss of hundreds of mature trees in the area, and seal pups washed ashore.

The LINKS project supported people at these times, with social connections, recipe bags, shared information and advice on emergency support and practical neighbourly lift-sharing and other help. 

Over the coming months LINKS is going to bring people together to take part in activities such as upcycling and using surplus and local food, with informal chats around things people can do in their households and community to reduce the effects of climate change.

Some of this will be done with partners, to ensure we have the widest possible reach. We will then produce resources based on the LINKS families’ experience and discussions for sharing with other communities in Scotland.