Cash First Communities 2025
Explore resources linked to the Cash First Communities 2025 conference held in Glasgow by IFAN and Trussell
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#CashFirstCommunities
About the conference
Cash First Communities 2025: Ending the need for charitable food aid in Scotland conference was held jointly by Trussell and IFAN in Glasgow in March 2025.
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Our first successful A Cash First Future conference, in March 2023, highlighted initiatives throughout Scotland to end the need for charitable food aid with a cash first approach. Shortly afterwards, in June 2023, the Scottish Government became the first government in the UK to publish a plan towards ending the need for food banks. In 2024, our second conference, Cash First Communities, considered how we could take the plan forward and embed and strengthen local cash first approaches to food insecurity.
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​Cash First Communities 2025 was attended by a diverse range of people working to reduce the need for charitable food aid in Scotland, including advice workers, local authority, food aid teams, anti-poverty charities, and civil servants.
Opening plenary session​
1. Welcoming and opening remarks​
Sabine Goodwin (IFAN) and
Penny Morriss (Trussell​)
2. Cash First Reflections from Aberdeenshire and Glasgow​
Denise Forsyth (Aberdeenshire Council)
Faiza Hansraj-Jackson (Glasgow Centre for Population Health) ​
3. Embedding cash first in Scotland in 2025
Shirley-Anne Somerville, MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice (video address)
Morning workshops
1. Food journeys - understanding gaps in support
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Changing Realities
2. Cash first, human rights and dignity - a workshop exploring the connections
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Nourish Scotland
Independent Food Aid Network
Aberdeenshire Council
The Poverty Truth Communities
3. Routes out of crisis - local action for national change
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Citizens Advice Scotland
4. Effective advice - learnings from income maximisation
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Trussell
Please note - Resources on this page cannot be replicated without permission.
Please contact admin@foodaidnetwork.org.uk to find out more.
Afternoon workshops
1. Evaluating community approaches to cash first - Pathways to Advice and Cash in Scotland
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Fuel Research
Rocket Science
2. Cash first in practice in Edinburgh - connecting the conversations
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Edinburgh Food Project
Edinburgh Community Food
Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership
3. Community Guiders - how participation can support and improve cash first and drive anti-poverty work in our communities
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Faith in Community Dundee
4. What next for the Scottish Welfare Fund?
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Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland
Closing plenary session​
1. Panel: Towards a cash first UK
Polly Jones (Trussell)
Emma Jackson (Citizens Advice Scotland)
Martin Canavan (Aberlour Children's Charity)
Abby Preston (IFAN)
Andrew Forsey (Feeding Britain)
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2. Final remarks
Polly Jones (Trussell)
