Support with Food and Essentials
In the face of the cost of living crisis
Cooking courses
In recent years we have begun running cooking courses teaching basic cooking skills, and how to make nutritious meals and snacks whilst on a budget. Every week of the course, participants are taught how to make a different meal - they learn the necessary skills needed for the preparation and cooking, and then get stuck in having a go! After, the class sit and try the meal together (which is by far the most popular part of the course! At the end of each course participants get to take home a free slow cooker or air fryer.
“I only knew how to boil a kettle before, but now I’m confident!”
- cooking course attendee
Food hampers
Over the years we have run many food hamper projects at crucial times, in particular during the COVID 19 pandemic. The subsequent Cost of Living crisis has meant we have continued to offer food support in this way, in particular offer more fresh food in our hampers, to complement the cupboard/long life food offered by food banks. We now operate food hamper programmes during the summer holidays and at Christmas time. Recently we have begun to offer recipe based hampers, seeking to equip people with new recipes and ideas, to take the anxiety out of cooking tasty nutritious meals.
Subsidised and Free Meals & Drinks
Whilst having a good meal or a hot drink won't solve all problems, we believe it is a good place to start. Many households are struggling to afford their food shop, let alone to eat in a café.
To combat this, we offer free or subsidised meals and drinks for different groups and events, to ensure local people can attend, benefit and be fed without the barrier of low finance.
An example is our £1 soup deal, which we offer as part of our warm hub in the winter months, or free kids breakfasts during school holidays.
This is great. She has been going to school in shoes that are far too small for her, but we haven’t been able to afford new ones. Thank you
- Grandparent of school shoes recipient
School shoes and winter coats
We have run several school shoes and winter coats projects, aimed at supporting school children from families on low incomes with a brand new pair of school shoes or a warm winter coat.
Last year we also ran a school uniform bank, able to provide free preloved school uniform to households struggling to afford it.
Free blankets
Fuel poverty has become an increasing issue with fuel prices rising in unprecedented amounts in recent years. We have given out many free blankets across the past few years, and still have them on offer during the winter months for anyone in need of them.
We've also held three annual '24 hour Stitch-a-thon's making blankets, hats and scarves to give away and raising money for our warm hub offers including free hot drinks and soups, as well as for our Christmas in a Box hampers.