Our classes were conceived to give disadvantaged communities the opportunity to learn how to cook simple, healthy recipes. Through the years though, we’ve learnt these classes are just as important to bring the community together; to help tackle social issues such as isolation, community fragmentation, food insecurity, mental health and inclusivity. We’ve been running our sessions in Edmonton Green, Enfield and Grahame Park, Barnet since 2019 and regularly in Hendon for the last year.
Community Cooking Together Classes.
Edmonton Green Hub
2019 to date
Launched in 2019 our first sessions were made possible by Metropolitan Housing, who funded our ‘Being well’ pilot project. Trust for London believed in our vision and funded our classes for 3 years. We’ve since received match funding from a variety of other funders and our classes continue today.
We teamed up with a local social enterprise B.A.C.E to open-up a disused space in Edmonton Green where we ran our classes for 2 years. At the end of the lease, we moved to Craig Park Youth Hub and now we’re based at Klinger Hall.
Our classes run weekly term time. Each session is 2 hours. Participants learn how to make a variety of dishes, often working in pairs and then everyone shares the food and enjoys a meal together. The class is free and fully inclusive to all.
“I love it here, we’re like our own little cooking family” – Jackie
Grahame Park
2019 to date
We’ve been running our community classes regularly since they were first funded by Near Neighbours in 2019. Since then, due to funding from Notting Hill Genesis and Barnet Council we have been running weekly community cooking classes at the community centre in Grahame Park.
We have teamed up with other community organisations at Grahame Park, such as Grow, a local growing charity who have set up a community garden on the estate. We will be running cooking classes for the community using the produce from the garden.
We have also published a community recipe book with residents and community groups from Grahame Park, celebrating the diverse community of Grahme Park and include dishes from all over the world. Recipes were submitted and cooked by residents, students from local schools and community groups based on Grahame Park.
“BnB classes have become known and trusted on the estate.” – Jan, Colindale Community Trust
Hendon
2023 to date
Since the re-development Metropolitan Housing have been supporting their residents and the local area by providing meaningful activities to bring the community together.
We’ve been providing our classes regularly since the summer of 2023.
Local residents helped shape the sessions by offering to share their heritage recipes as well as making requests of dishes they wanted to learn how to make.
“Each week, I think this is the best week, and then we make something new and great the next week” – Shiv, local resident
Other
People love to cook and share food together so we provide our sessions for so many specific projects. Our recent projects include:
12 classes for Ukrainian refugees based in Friary House, Barnet
12 classes for the community of Burnt Oak, Barnet
10 classes for refugees helping them to recreate their familiar cultural dishes
Delivered 4 culinary festivals celebrating 4 different cultures (EID, Lunar New Year, BHM & the Ukrainian)
4 classes for Barnet Young Carers
12 classes for those in the criminal justice system
12 family classes for Chalkhill primary school – Brent
6 family classes at Alma Primary school – Enfield
4 female focused classes for Belifted
Ongoing weekly classes for Barnet Youths – Barnet Council Positive Activities programme
Ongoing holiday classes for B.A.C.E – the Barnet Council Haf programme
Here’s what our participants and referrals think:
“Every week I think I’ve had just the best feast and then the next week seems even better!”
Pauline
“If only I’d had the chance to learn how to cook earlier, I could have been enjoying this tasty food for more of my life!”
Pat, Age 72
“Your classes are invaluable for all our service users.``
Safiea Issa, Occupational Therapist - Priory Hospital Enfield
“Thank goodness for your regular class – we don’t have any other classes like yours to sign post our service users to.”
Vladislava Zubek, Lead Peer Practitioner - Lucas House
