Edinburgh Community Food is an accredited real Living Wage and Living Hours employer.

The real Living Wage is the only UK wage rate based on the cost of living. It is voluntarily paid by over 15,000 organisations across the UK who believe their staff deserve a wage which meets everyday needs. Living Hours sits alongside this, guaranteeing a minimum of 16 hours of work per week, at least one month’s notice for shifts and a contract that reflects hours worked.

In line with our commitment to Fair Work First criteria, Edinburgh Community Food (ECF) became an accredited real Living Wage employer in April 2024 and an accredited Living Hours employer in September 2024. As an organisation deeply embedded in community, we recognise the complex interrelationships between fair pay, improved health & well-being outcomes and quality of life. We understand that it is essential for economic stability, a key driver of good (mental) health. By ensuring that all our employees earn a wage - across the hours they need - that meets the cost of living, we help them avoid the financial anxiety and stress that can negatively impact on wellbeing.

These commitments provide a foundation for dignity and respect in the workplace, fostering a culture where employees feel valued, heard and rewarded. We have established an organisational culture that promotes fair pay, effective voice, security, respect, and opportunity. As part of our wider supportive culture we recognise the inflationary impact our staff face, invest in training and career development, provide support around accessing benefits and engage in regular well-being needs assessment. Further, we also ensure that our employment practices are inclusive, offering flexible working arrangements and opportunities for development to support work-life balance and career progression. Through these accreditations and commitments, we not only attract, support and retain employees but also contribute to wider efforts aimed at reducing financial insecurity and (health) inequalities in Edinburgh, enhancing social equity and making Edinburgh a great place to live.

Our Senior Management Team incorporates Living Wage and Hours considerations into our collaborations and supply chain processes, encouraging partner and supplier buy-in and alignment with our allegiance to fair work and fair pay. This approach not only supports our staff and those of partner organisations but also contributes – through advocacy - to a wider societal shift towards fair remuneration practices.

Our commitment to the real Living Wage and Living Hours is a statement of leadership within the third sector. We believe in advocacy and leading by example, showing other organisations that paying a fair wage is not just possible but beneficial to our staff and those of other organisations, and is necessary. This commitment sits under our broader strategy to influence systemic change, including around Cash First approaches, advocating for policies that provide a safety net preventing people from falling into poverty and crisis.

Hence, our decision to become a real Living Wage employer aligns with our values and our mission to tackle health inequalities and address need through the provision of nourishing food, education and wrap-around support services.

By embedding the Living Wage and its promotion across our internal practices and external relationships, we ensure that our team feels valued, respected and motivated, which enhances service delivery for those we support. This commitment also builds our reputation, helping to attract the best staff and fostering trust among our teams, stakeholders and funders, strengthening our charity, our partners and the communities we serve​.