Walsall Hosts Free Community Food Festival to Promote Inclusive Health and Wellbeing

A free Community Food Festival is set to take place at Ryecroft Community Hub in Walsall on Saturday 9 May, aiming to offer a fresh and inclusive approach to public health. The event will combine food, physical activity, creativity, and practical health education in a festival atmosphere designed to make healthy living more accessible and enjoyable for all.

Organised by Rizon Health Ltd through its non-profit initiative Bloom+, the festival moves away from conventional clinical health settings. Instead, it provides a welcoming environment where local residents can connect, learn, and participate in engaging activities.

Local media, including press photographers and television crews, are invited to attend and document the event. The festival is expected to attract around 200 community members, supported by 75 volunteers from the local area, the University of Leeds as an official partner, and Studio School.

Attendees will have access to a variety of activities and resources, including:

• Free healthy food for all visitors
• Nutrition education co-designed by the University of Leeds
• A nutrition-themed Snakes and Ladders game
• A cultural food scavenger hunt
• Accredited flower-arranging therapy
• Vegetable patch planting
• An all-ability disco fitness class
• Community stalls with signposting to local support services
• Opportunities to win cash vouchers, with £600 worth available

The festival specifically targets individuals affected by cost-of-living challenges, disability, social isolation, cultural underrepresentation, or limited access to traditional health services. Rather than relying on lectures or clinical advice, the event uses shared experiences centred on food, movement, and creativity as pathways to improved wellbeing.

Daniel Essom, Chief Executive of Rizon Health Ltd, commented: “We wanted to create something that feels completely different from a traditional health intervention. This festival is about bringing people together through food, culture, movement and creativity, while offering practical education and support in a way that feels welcoming, enjoyable and community-led.”

Media representatives are encouraged to attend the Bloom+ Community Food Festival to engage with organisers, partners, volunteers, and community members, capture compelling visuals, and explore positive local initiatives addressing health inequalities, cost-of-living pressures, and social isolation.

Event Details

What: Bloom+ Community Food Festival
When: Saturday 9 May, 11am–3pm
Where: Ryecroft Community Hub, Walsall
Cost: Free to attend
Hosted by: Rizon Health Ltd through its non-profit Bloom+ project