Investigating volunteer dynamics to enable improved social inclusivity in a community food distribution service in South-West London, United Kingdom

Food distribution services play a key role in ensuring and promoting health needs of vulnerable individuals
and families through dignity-centric and gatekeeper free access to food. However, in practice, conflicting experiences, between health promotion approaches and meeting basic needs exist depending on the habitus of the population as proposed by Pierre Bourdieu. The purpose of the study was to investigate and understand the lived experiences of visitors and volunteers at a surplus food distribution project in a borough of London ranked as “affluent” by the UK indices of multiple deprivation (IMD). It aimed to understand key characteristics of visitors and understand the benefits to a community assumed as statistically affluent, during a time where food insecurity prevalence has sharply increased.

A pragmatic patchwork ethnography study was undertaken investigating the lived experiences
of visitors and volunteers to a food surplus project in South-West London, an area characterised by pockets of nested
deprivation which appear to exist within affluent areas.

Results, via thematic analysis, demonstrated volunteers could be grouped into four categories, consisting of, people attending alone, couples volunteering together, supporters attending as a carer for disabled volunteers and
transient volunteers, attending less consistently. Based on the dynamics, ethnicity, and cultures of these volunteer
groups, it is possible to create environments conducive to effective health promotion strategies, reflecting and mirroring the diversity of corresponding communities. Consequently, improved opportunities for health are developed, drawing on Bourdieu’s’ social capital to create inclusive communities to add depth to these findings.

The value of these findings is the ability to influence the dynamics of food aid projects, supporting the creation of health promoting environments. Consequently, an ability to deliver a dignity-centric, inclusive service with reduced stigma attachment can be developed.