Welcome to ‘This Is The North’ Podcast, your source of transformative conversations. An intentional challenge to the systems holding back the North of England. Hosted by Alison Dunn, an award-winning charity chief executive and former solicitor. This podcast is supported by Society Matters Community Interest Company and is dedicated to curating and sharing knowledge, powering the change we need for a more equal and inclusive society.

In this powerful episode, Alison speaks with Professor Greta Defeyter OBE, Director of the Healthy Living Lab at Northumbria University, about the devastating impact of food insecurity. With one in five children living in food-insecure households, Professor Defeyter brings both academic expertise and personal insight to this urgent conversation.

Through her remarkable journey—from returning to rural Suffolk in the mid-80s as a single mother with just 16 pence and a pair of hiking boots to a leading academic researcher and recent recipient of an OBE for her services —Greta illuminates the complex web of challenges facing food-insecure families. She shares how a chance encounter with a child stuffing toast into his pockets at a school breakfast club transformed her research focus, leading to groundbreaking work on food insecurity and school feeding programmes.

The conversation delves deep into systemic issues, from the normalisation of breakfast clubs and food banks to the barriers preventing eligible families from accessing free school meals. Professor Defeyter challenges current approaches, advocating for auto-enrolment systems and questioning why £88 million in unused free school meal allowances vanish from school systems annually. The discussion reveals how seemingly simple solutions, such as providing water fountains in schools or allowing meal allowances to roll over, face bureaucratic hurdles that disproportionately impact the most vulnerable students.

Episode Timestamps:

00:42 Defining Food Insecurity

02:18 Professor Defeyter's Personal Journey

04:32 The Evolution of Breakfast Clubs

06:08 Impact of Food Insecurity on Child Development

13:02 Barriers to Access

27:48 Affordable Food Hubs and Alternative Solutions

32:35 Policy Recommendations

40:34 Auto-enrolment and Future Solutions

This episode serves as a powerful call to action in how we address food insecurity. Through Professor Defeyter's insights, we see how seemingly separate issues—from school food standards to data sharing between government departments—connect to create and perpetuate cycles of food poverty. Her vision for change, including auto-enrolment for benefits and reimagining school food systems, offers hope for a more equitable future.

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Host: Alison Dunn

Guest: Professor Greta Defeyter OBE

Producer: Peter Bell

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This podcast is produced by Purpose Made, empowering change through intentional leadership and shared knowledge.

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