Community Cook and Share

The Pitch

Problem statement

St Luke’s area of benefit is a densely populated inner-city neighbourhood in London. The majority of residents live in social housing. The neighbourhood suffers significant deprivation, with child poverty, unemployment, premature death, poor health and isolation of older people. Since the start of Covid-19 many people have lost their jobs or been furloughed and have relied on St Luke's for food donations. Amongst those we are helping we have identified a lack of basic cooking skills and confidence to be able to create healthy meals on a budget. Isolation and lack of social interaction opportunities affect not only this beneficiary group but many in our community especially older people.

Solution

We will deliver engaging, weekly cookery classes. 8 participants at each session will learn to cook tasty, low-cost meals that they will be able to make at home. The focus will be on using store cupboard essentials. As well as learning cookery skills and how to eat healthily participants will also pick up tips for smarter shopping and waste reduction. Once a month dishes will be shared and eaten together with up to 30 people who are most in need in our community. Cookery class participants will have learned new skills, feel motivated to cook more at home, feel engaged in their community, have a greater sense of wellbeing and confidence. Greater community cohesion will benefit all.

Why are we best placed to deliver?

Since opening our stylish, well equipped cookery school in 2012 we have successfully delivered community cookery classes that help our community to have a better understanding about healthy eating, shopping on a budget and skills to create tasty dishes. We have delivered classes to meet the needs of our community from eating well while living alone, cooking on a budget, eating to stay well, early learning about food, inspiring junior chefs. We have access to experienced chefs and tutors to deliver classes as well as trained sessional workers. All classes are evaluated to measure their impact against aims and objectives of the project and benefits to the participants and wider community.

Focus Areas

Delivery plan

Budget breakdown

Beneficiaries

388 people

Expected impact

Those attending the cookery classes will have learned new cooking skills, have a better knowledge about healthy eating and cost savings, feel motivated to cook more at home, feel engaged in their community, have a greater sense of wellbeing. Those joining the monthly Community Cook and Share will experience being more engaged in their community and have a greater sense of wellbeing from the social benefits of a community coming together and inspired to join cookery classes at St Luke’s. Questionnaires will be completed at the beginning and end of the project to enable the impact to be measured.

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