History
Where did the project start?
Convenience stores in the North East were the first in England to pilot an £800,000 scheme to get the country eating more fruit and vegetables.
The scheme was launched in November 2008 by Public Health Minister Dawn Primarolo and ACS worked closely with the Department of Health to secure retailers for the pilot project.
The Department of Health provided £200,000 in 2008 and a further £300,000 in 2009 and 2010 to help the local shops involved in the pilot scheme sell and promote fruit and vegetables.
Convenience stores trade at the heart of communities throughout the country and ensuring there is a strong selection of healthy, fresh produce on offer is an important step forward in tackling obesity. The pilot stores are located in Newcastle, Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Seaton, Gateshead, Hartlepool, County Durham and South Shields.
Shops involved in the pilot now sell a wider range of fruit and vegetables and display them prominently within their stores. In return, the Department of Health assigned a project coordinator to work with each store and offer advice on maximising profits, minimising waste and displaying and promoting the new fresh produce to the local community. Shop keepers were also able to link up with local initiatives, such as cooking clubs, in a bid to help their customers learn how to build fruit and vegetables into their diet.
A similar scheme is already up and running in Scotland. Local shops north of the border have seen an increase in profits ranging from 20 per cent up to as much as 400 per cent.
People living near the shops have reported that it has encouraged them to eat more fruit and vegetables.