Food is Free receives award for better eating

A LOCAL health food initiative, Food is Free Laneway, has received an award from the Australian Psychological Society Congress which was held in Sydney recently.

Known as the Kazzie Award, Food is Free Laneway was one of three winners selected from a field of 19 entrants seeking a combined total of $156,000.

Food is Free Laneway works with marginalised members of the community and tries to break the cycle of intergenerational habits by improving diet, minimising waste and improving food security.

“We know that Ballarat has a problem with food security, so we wanted to not just hand out food to people but also empower people through workshops and that usually penetrates a bit better into society, when people skill themselves up,” said Food is Free Laneway coordinator Lou Ridsdale

“We will be growing more food and have an ongoing series of workshops where people from Ballarat, particularly those who are vulnerable and experiencing hardship, can come to the green space and learn skills that will really change their lives.”

Other award winners include a project in the N.T. that works with communities to start businesses by re-using waste, and rubbish clean up and education project tin Rye.

Now in their second year, the Kazzie Award we’re established in the memory of psychologist Karen Curnow, who was passionate about assisting women to understand and encourage positive environmental behaviour.

The award is designed to promote the less visible positive stories about women and environmental conservation, and to give a financial helping hand to those quietly supporting communities to live and thrive in a clean world.