Published on 18 March 2025
Over 80 delegates and speakers from Cheshire and Merseyside gathered for a one-day workshop recently to examine the links between housing, access to nutritious food, and the prevalence of diet-related illness, including cancer, with a view to identifying systemic barriers and opportunities for intervention on food insecurity.
The workshop was coordinated by public health charity Health Equalities Group (HEG) and was delivered in collaboration with NHS Cheshire and Merseyside’s Housing and Health Partnership and Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance (CMCA).
CMCA is currently funding the Strategic Obesity Project for Cheshire and Merseyside, owing to obesity being the second most significant modifiable risk factor associated with cancer in the UK.
The project is taking a system-wide approach to prevention of obesity, considering the wider determinants of health and working with stakeholders from housing, planning and the VCFSE sector.
Food insecurity, higher weight and diet-related illnesses can be linked to people with limited ability to afford fresh and healthier food, which can lead to those individuals relying on cheaper, calorie-dense, nutrient-poor options.
Findings from insight work with housing associations carried out by HEG revealed significant activity within the social housing sector to address food insecurity and healthier weight, including strong levels of partnership working with local stakeholders from the public and VCFSE sectors.
Housing associations showed strong interest in attending a face-to-face workshop to share current practice and take a cross-sector approach to developing long-term solutions to food insecurity and its health implications.
Speaking about the workshop, Ceriann Tunnah, Associate Director for Population Health, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, said: “It is pleasing to see so many local housing associations, food partnerships and health practitioners come together to share current practice and consider changes at systems level that can have long-term outcomes on addressing food insecurity and access to healthier food.
“We know that food insecurity and diet-related illness within Cheshire and Merseyside are both pressing issues, and today’s workshop has recognised the role of social housing providers in addressing inequalities and working with a range of public and third sector partners to enable healthier, more sustainable communities.”
John Pilcher, Senior Quality Improvement Manager at CMCA, who spoke at the event, said: “The prevalence of cancer is intrinsically bound up with many lifestyle, environmental and structural factors. This is why we see so much inequality in our region in relation to cancer. By also focussing on areas other than healthcare, we can understand what we need to try to change to make a difference in the prevention, detection and improved treatment of the disease.
“The workshop was incredibly informative and it was heartening to see so many professionals from many sectors engaged in this important work.”
More information on the Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Obesity Project can be found at: https://www.cm-strategicobesity.org/