Healthier, affordable food options are becoming more accessible to residents in Blackbird Leys, thanks to an exciting new initiative aimed at improving the availability of nutritious products in local shops.

The Good Food Retail Network scheme, a collaboration between Oxfordshire County Council and Rice Marketing, is bringing positive change to Blackbird Leys by helping a handful of local retail shops stock healthier products. These include options that are lower in sugar, salt, and fat, as well as those with higher fibre content.

Blackbird Leys has one of the highest rates of childhood obesity in Oxfordshire, and the area is also ranked among the top ten most deprived regions in the county. The initiative aims to address these issues head-on by making healthier food more affordable and easier to find in local shops.

Councillor Dr. Nathan Ley, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Health, Inequalities, and Community Safety, highlighted the importance of this project, saying, “Data has shown that Blackbird Leys has one of the highest rates of childhood obesity in Oxfordshire. Before we started this work, we found it could be up to 30% more expensive to buy some healthy foods in local shops compared to larger supermarket chains. That’s why we’ve partnered with Rice Marketing to support store owners in offering a wider selection of affordable, healthy options.”

Over the past year, six local shops have joined the scheme, each working to increase the availability of healthier foods. To make it easier for shoppers to identify these better options, the shops now feature a "Healthier Options" sign on selected products.

But it’s not just about labeling—shops have also received free stock of healthier products to show that customers will buy them if they’re available. Early results are promising: there has already been a 19% increase in the number of healthier products sold.

One of the key goals of the scheme is to make healthy food accessible to all families, especially those with young children. All participating shops now accept Healthy Start cards, a national initiative that gives pregnant women and parents of young children financial support to buy healthy food, milk, and infant formula. This is a fantastic way to ensure that even those on lower incomes can access nutritious food locally.

Find out more about the participating shops and look for the Healthier Options sign on products.

Find out more about the Healthy Start scheme on their website healthystart.nhs.uk, or view GFO's Healthy Start page for an online training video and some promotional resources.