The Buywell Project - Report Example

BUYWELL PROJECT Introduction Well London is a programme, aimed at building stronger communities by using people to work together to improve their neighbourhoods, health and well-being. The programme is funded by the Big Lottery Fund which is also known as BIG. This is a public body which is responsible for distributing monies raised by the National Lottery for what are termed as “good causes”. Over £4.4 billion has been awarded, since 2004, to several projects in the UK. Each year BIG invests over £600 million of the National Lottery money with an aim to make people’s life in the UK better. The London Health Commission in 2006 brought seven organisations that had never previously worked together and formed the multi-sectoral Well London Alliance. In 2007, BIG awarded the £9.46m to the Greater London Authority to enable the Alliance to deliver Well London. This was a new community action for health and well-being. The idea was to implement it in 20 of London’s most deprived neighbourhoods. The target population was about 35, 000 (Hitchcock, 2012). The Well London programme runs for five years. There also exists a Well London Alliance which is made up of the London Sustainability Exchange, Central YMCA, London Health Commission, University of East London, Arts Council England, Groundwork London, and South London and Maudsley NHS Trust. The First Phase of the project ran from 2009-2012 and it was based on five themes: i. Physical Activity, ii. Mental Well-Being, iii. Healthy Eating, iv. Culture & Tradition and v. Healthy Spaces Background Many communities in London do not have available fresh and affordable fruit and vegetables. These therefore means that the population does not consume a balanced diet which raises the risk of health complications. The local convenience stores in these areas form an integral part of the local economy (Renton, 2007). However, these stores mostly sell confectionery, newspaper and tobacco products, among others. But the main point is that they have limited sales of fresh foods. This could probably be attributed to a misconception in the convenience sector that fresh produce are not as profitable. Retailers who have attempted to introduce such items have experienced poor sales. This was largely due to various factors; poor quality produce, high pricing and a lack of general understanding of how such items should be managed and displayed. This initiative seeks to work with businesses in order to grow their sales of fresh produce. This project has potential to be a win-win for both the business owners and the consumers. Buywell This is one of the projects implemented under this programme. It was aimed at improving access to food that is healthy and affordable. The targeted areas in London were helped to eat a wide range of healthier foods. This was done by- supporting groups in these locales to plan, develop and also run food access projects (Buywell Retail Project, 2010). The Buywell Project was implemented by RRM together with local partner Tower Hamlets Co-operative Development Agency. The project was then managed by London Food Link. Various organizations funded the project- The London Development Agency, Tower Hamlets Healthy Borough Programme; and the Big Lottery as part of the Well London programme. Recognise and Accept the Need for Partnership The wise men say, “Two heads are better than one.” This in essence means teamwork is better than working as an individual and this is what partnership embodies. A partnership is an arrangement between two or more persons agreeing to cooperate in order to advance their mutual interests (Merriam-Webster, 2013). Well London has also recognised the importance of partnerships. The Alliance itself consists of various organisations including but not limited to; Groundwork London, London Health Commission, University of East London, Arts Council England among others. These orgasniations having appreciated the need to pull together instead of separately came together and formed the Alliance which is in charge of overseeing the Well London programme. Another partnership that has been formed is between the Alliance and the business owners. The convenience stores have agreed to introduce fresh produce in their items of sale. They have also agreed to be trained on how to price them properly as well as manage them. A point worth noting is that these stores over the years have rarely sold fresh produce and therefore for the owners to agree was a risk but one they deemed worth taking. Humans are social beings and therefore it is common to have partnerships between individuals, schools, governments, business and any other varied combinations. Develop Clarity and Realism of Purpose This principle is majorly concerned with two areas: Firstly, determining if the partners have a sufficient common ground to work together. This is in terms of a shared understanding as well as aims and objectives. Secondly, ensuring the aims and objectives set are realistic. For instance the objective of Well London is to improve London’s most deprived neighbourhoods, health and well-being (Hitchcock, 2012). The objectives of the project were: i. To encourage the disadvantaged communities in London to buy and eat freshly produced fruit and vegetables. ii. To report on the constraints currently experienced while also identifying opportunities for improving the supply and sale of quality and freshly produced fruit and vegetables. iii. To evaluate the programme and make recommendations so that this programme can be adapted throughout London. The programme also had certain targets which included: i. To support 15 stores to increase their sales of fresh fruit and vegetables. 6 of these stores will be located in Well London Lower Super Output Areas and 9 of them in Tower Hamlets. ii. To increase sales of fruit and vegetables by at least an average of 30% in the 15 stores. iii. To provide support and training for the 15 stores. In each of these stores, at least one staff member will be trained. iv. To have at least 50% of consumers reporting a positive change in their local shop. Having stated the objectives, I found them to be clear. They clearly outlined what the programme sought to achieve. To evaluate them further, we should subject them to the SMART criteria. Specific. The objectives are very specific. They even go to the extent of setting targets in terms of percentages. For instance; increasing sales of fruit and vegetables by 30%. If the target was to merely increase sales then tihs would not have been specific. Measurable. By virtue of the targets being specific then this means that they can be measured. Taking the example given above, it is possible to measure the sales of the stores in order to determine if there has been an increase or decrease, and by how much. Attainable. The aims and objectives set should be realistic which means they should be attainable. If the objectives underestimate the capacity that can be attained this means that the partnerships efforts are confined to marginal tasks. It should also be noted that overestimating can lead to unrealistic expectations. Relevant. The objectives set should be relevant to the programme. It would be absurd to have objectives that have nothing to do with the programme. Time-bound. It is important to set a time scale within which to achieve your objectives. Failure to do this can result in mere implementation without evaluation. This means that errors cannot be detected and efficient ways of working can also not be realised. Ensure Commitment and Ownership This was a project for the community and it was carried out by the community. Engaging the members of the areas in the project was one of the ways through which to ensure they were committed. Also, getting the convenience stores to stock fresh produce ensured that the store owners invested financially into this project. This would help them develop a sense of ownership in the project. Develop and Maintain Trust Developing and maintaining trust is one of the most difficult challenges when implementing a new project. Especially when the project seeks to change people’s life-styles. One way of developing this trust is by being open from the word go and Well London achieved and it did not seem as though there were any hidden agendas. Trust was also developed because the venture was a win-win for the community. It did not seem as though one party was taking advantage of the other and this is usually very important to the community. Some of the benfits of working in a partnership include: i. Credibility. When organisations come together to work on a project then the project is seen as credible. In order for the public to embrace the project and support it they must believe in it first. Therefore getting several organisations to com on board enhances its believability. ii. More Resources and Expanded Audience. The partnership between RRM and CDA was a good example of this. CDA had the ability to reach the local areas because it already had structures while RRM having already gained experience in food retail market complimented each other. Each party brought a unique quality to the table and therefore fed of each other. Some of the difficulties experienced while working in a partnership are: i. Disagreements. This is one of the most obvious disadvantages of partnerships. If different people are likely to have different ideas, imagine different organizations. Disagreements are likely to arise in terms of how the project should be run. However both partners should be civil enough to accomodate each other in order to forge foward. Create Clear and Robust Partnership Arrangements Four organisations applied to be awarded the tender but Rice Retail Marketing (RRM) was chosen mainly because of its success in managing the Department of Health convenience store programme in the North East as well as its substantial experience in food retail marketing. It was also important to get a partner to work with RRM and it was decided that since most of the stores the project was working with are located in Tower Hamlets, then the Tower Hamlets Co-operative Development Agency (CDA) would be an ideal partner. CDA would assist RRM with local knowledge and also in ensuring that a legacy was left in Tower Hamlets once the Buywell Retail Project ended. The partnership between RRM and CDA has been like a match made in heaven this is because both brought specific expertise and knowledge to the project. Monitor, Measure and Learn Jigsaw Ltd a research company, was commissioned to evaluate changes if any in customer perceptions, attitudes as well as shopping habits. Sales figures from the convenience stores were monitored on a weekly basis. Exit interviews were also conducted, as customers from the stores were approached as they were leaving the stores. These interviews were conducted both before and after the changes across the stores. A total of 350 interviews were conducted. 184 of these interviews were conducted before the changes and 166 of them after the changes. The interviews were a good opportunity to assess the impact of the changes and also to compare the shoppers’ responses pre and post the changes. The results indicated that there were some shifts in attitudes and purchasing patterns. In order to acquire responses from a wide range of customers, interviews were conducted at different times of the day and also different days. Shoppers aged 16 and above were eligible for interviews regardless of whether they had bought fruit and vegetables or not. Sales data of fruit and vegetable were obtained from the 15 stores on three different occassions: before the project started; four weeks after changes were made; and four months after the changes were made. The data showed that four weeks after the changes were made, there was a 61% rise in the total sales of fruit and vegetables. Something also worth mentioning is that even after four months of making these changes this rise was maintained. There was an average increase of 60% in the sales of fruit and vegetables in all the stores where the programmee was launched. However, one store- Cambridge Heath Road experienced a 60% decline in its sales. The owner of the store attributed this to a new Tesco that was opened nearby. Most stores however maintained and some even exceeded their inintial sales increase. Another store, Costcutter Aberfeldy also reported a decline in their sales and this was attributed to the opening of a new Iceland store nearby. Conclusion The Buywell Project was a commendable and the two partners should be commended for executing. The number of customer buying fruit and vegetables even today is still high and this is one of the success of the project. Attaining the high numbers in the first place was quite commendable but maintaining them is even a greater achievement. The Project sought to not only encourage consumers to buy fruit and vegetables but also change their attitude towards them. Shoppers now say that when they visit the stores they have to but any type of fruit (Buywell Retail Report, 2010). It also very encouraging that the number of people reporting that they say they “don’t eat many fruit and vegetables” has also reduced. References Assessing Strategic Partnership the Partnership Assessment Tool- Office of the Deputy Prime Minister Briefing note for Well London target boroughs Buwell Retail Project 2010 Report Hitchcock, G. (2012, May). The Guardian. How Well London is helping deprived communities to better health. Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2013 Renton, A. (2007, January). University of East London. Selection of Communities. Research and Evaluation Framework. Retrieved from http://www.london.gov.uk/priorities/business-economy/working-in partnership/london-food-board/london-boroughs/sage-buywell-fruit-vegetable-stall-0 Retrieved from http://www.welllondon.org.uk/5/projects.html Read More