Charity, Health & Lifestyle | Posted on September 5th, 2024 | return to news
Charity helps people to get cooking in Dorset
Thanks to funding from Dorset Council and Waitrose, training sessions are being held to run workshops to help people to cook.
Local charity The Friendly Food Club, which is helping people to find cheaper ways of cooking, is being provided with funding from Dorset Council and Waitrose to enable it to equip community groups to run courses.
Liz Guilmant-Cush, CEO, said: “Every day we meet people who don’t know how or lack the confidence to cook. From teenagers unable to use tin openers to recently bereaved older people who are dependent on microwave meals.
“For the past decade, we have been providing cookery workshop sessions across Dorset. The Get Dorset Cooking training means that we are able to equip community groups to run their own workshops, so that together we can get as much of Dorset cooking as possible.”
Libby Lloyd, a senior youth leader at Treads Youth Advice & Information Centre in Blandford Forum, who has recently completed the training, said: “We’re finding that many young people are not maintaining a healthy diet. Parents lack time to prepare home-cooked meals, leading families to rely on ready-meals and unhealthy snacks.”
Since having completed the training, Treads have integrated cooking courses into their sessions, equipping local young people with the skills to cook healthy, nutritious meals for themselves as well as passing this knowledge on to their families.
The fully funded training is ideal for, but not exclusive to, foodbanks and pantries, community, patient, youth and other community-led groups.
Community groups are shown all the essential skills needed to run their own cooking sessions safely. Follow-up resources and support is available to ensure groups can launch out in confidence.
Before attending a training session, Sue in Weymouth found that NHS patients were prevented from preparing healthy meals due to a lack of confidence and knowledge, which affected their ability to manage chronic health conditions.
“The Get Dorset Cooking training has inspired us to run cookery courses that remove barriers to improved health and better lifestyles,” said Sue Brunt, NHS Patient Participation Group chairman.
The next training sessions will take place in Weymouth on 18 September and Wimborne on 10 October. Further dates will be confirmed throughout the autumn. Find out more at: www.thefriendlyfoodclub.org/get-dorset-cooking.
For general enquiries email hello@thefriendlyfoodclub.org or go to www.thefriendlyfoodclub.org for more information.
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