This Trading Places visit will explore Local Food Links' award winning scheme which provides ethically sourced, fresh local food for 23 primary schools and a range of older people's organisations as well as vocational training and community education

Local Food Links was established in 1999 to run Farmers Markets in Dorset but in 2006 the local council proposed a central contract for ready meals to be made in a factory in Nottingham, driven to Dorset and then 'regenerated' in primary schools. In response to this LfL developed a partnership with 8 Bridport primary schools and proposed setting up a central kitchen which would supply locally and ethically sourced hot meals to the schools.

Four years on, Local Food Links provides hot school meals to 23 primary schools in Dorset, is the first school caterer in the country to be awarded the Food For Life Gold Catering Mark and has diversified to cater for older people's organisations and projects such as:

• Provision of catering for lunch clubs in community settings
• Lunch clubs at schools, with interaction between pupils and older people
• Local Food Clubs (food coops) providing access to affordable food
• Supply of prepared fruit and vegetables into Food Clubs
• Cookery workshops, eg older people sharing skills with younger people, lessons for single men etc
• Community kitchen sessions, allowing participants to 'batch cook' a number of meals with a group of other people
• Support for catering services in day centres and care homes
• Production of meals and soups to be cooked in older people's homes

With their work featuring regularly in the national press, Working Food Links is a true example of best practice in providing good quality affordable food to local people. This visit will include:

• A presentation from the founder and chief executive
• Q&A
• A tour of the centre
• Facilitated and informal networking
• Lunch

Bursaries are available to cover the cost of travel and places are free to rural social and community organisations in the South West. Those whose job it is to support them will be charged at £40 per place.