Spotlight: CanTeam

What if schools could become thriving community hubs that tackle food poverty, reduce waste, and strengthen social connections all at once? This article explores how Can Team's innovative approach works to transform school food systems into sustainable community assets, why more schools and communities need this model, and how you can take action to bring community-centred food provision to your area.

Spotlight Summary: CANTEAM - Community-Centred School Food Systems

Recorded June 2025 with Jonathan Harper - CEO of Future Foundations & Founder of CanTeam.

You can watch the whole call below or read the summary of the call below

The Call Summary

This spotlight call featured CANTeam, an inspiring UK initiative helping schools open their doors beyond the school day to create after-school dinner clubs - warm, welcoming spaces where young people and families can come together for community connection and healthy, affordable meals.

We were joined by CanTeam's founder Jonathan Harper, Big Change Education Challenge Winner, alongside one of the inspiring young people who has played a key role in setting up the project in their own school, and Shenel Shefik, who established Can Team in her children's school and now supports other schools across the country to implement similar initiatives.

Key insights from the call:

Young people leading change: The conversation highlighted how young people are at the forefront of shaping these community dinner clubs, designing them to meet the genuine needs of their peers and local communities rather than adult assumptions about what's needed.

Beyond just meals: Can Team provides more than food - they create spaces for belonging, support, and meaningful conversation. These dinner clubs tackle food insecurity whilst simultaneously strengthening school communities and building social connections.

Practical implementation: Shenel shared her journey from setting up CanTeam in her own children's school to now supporting other schools nationwide, offering concrete insights into how schools, parents, and local organisations can get involved or start similar initiatives.

System change through collaboration: Jonathan explained how Can Team supports wider transformation by working with others who share their belief in the power of social dining to address multiple community challenges simultaneously.

The ripple effect: The call demonstrated how opening school doors beyond traditional hours creates lasting impact - not just addressing immediate food needs, but building the social capital and community connections that help families and young people thrive.

Ready to take action?

We've working with CANTeam to create a one pager that to help you set up a community dining experience in your school. In the meantime you can express an interest and register your school for more info here.