Food, belonging and Pride 

Ruth Hislop-Gill, Bristol Good Food 2030’s Projects and Impact Coordinator reports on BFN’s recent session with Voscur’s LGBTQ+ Coalition. Find out how you can get involved in this work. 

Recently, Bristol Food Network (BFN) was invited along to a Voscur LGBTQ+ Coalition meet-up, as part of our ongoing work to better understand how different communities in Bristol experience food growing and in particular, how access to community growing spaces shapes who gets to participate in cultivating food across the city. As Pride Month reminds us, belonging is not just about visibility – it’s about how spaces make us feel, who they are designed for and who feels able to participate. Food touches all of us, but access to good food and inclusive, community-led spaces is not experienced equally. 

Why this conversation mattered 

This session was created as a listening space. Our aim was to build relationships and hear directly from LGBTQ+ organisations and community representatives about how food and growing spaces show up in their lives — socially, culturally and practically. 

Through a mix of informal activities and small group discussions, we explored questions like: where do people feel included or excluded when it comes to food? What makes a space feel genuinely welcoming? And what might more inclusive food and growing spaces look like in Bristol? 

What we heard 

The conversations were open and generous, highlighting how closely food is linked to identity, wellbeing and inequality. 

Access came up consistently as a key barrier — from cost and time to knowledge and space — with LGBTQ+ communities often facing additional, intersecting challenges linked to factors like income, housing, race and access to safe, welcoming environments. 

There was also a clear call to see food as a right rather than a luxury, alongside the need for better visibility, communication, and more clearly inclusive food and growing spaces. 

Next steps 

We came away feeling grateful and inspired, with a clearer understanding of some of the challenges that marginalised and underrepresented communities face in accessing food and growing spaces. These insights will inform how we explore ways of supporting food growing spaces to become more accessible and inclusive. 

We’re conscious that we are not the experts in this space, nor are we trying to be. Our role is to listen, learn from lived and living experience, and help convene people who are interested in making change happen. If you’re interested in sharing your experience or getting involved with this work, please email: ruth@bristolfoodnetwork.org   

We also want to recognise the important role that Voscur plays in convening networks like the LGBTQ+ Coalition, creating space for organisations, communities and individuals to connect, share learning, and amplify community voices. You can find out more about the Alliance and Voscur’s wider work on their website and social media pages:  

www.instagram.com/voscurbristol

www.instagram.com/bristollgbtqcoalition

Final reflection 

Conversations like this are a reminder that building a fairer food system isn’t just about food itself, it’s about people, relationships, and belonging. 

As Pride Month continues, we’re committed to listening, learning, and working collaboratively to ensure Bristol’s food growing spaces are places where everyone feels they belong. 

To stay updated on future events, job opportunities and news, don’t forget to sign up for the Bristol Good Food Update at bristolgoodfood.org/newsletter.