‘Cooking Good’ workshops to be offered to tenants and care leavers in Northampton

A number of Northampton-based organisations have teamed up to offer cooking workshops to residents and care leavers to teach them how to cook nourishing food on a budget.

The ‘Cooking Good’ workshops, which will be offered to Northampton Partnership Homes (NPH) residents and care leavers in Northampton, have been made possible with support from a Community Funding Grant from West Northamptonshire Council.

Community Health-Works Community Interest Company (CIC) has teamed up with the housing provider’s CIC, Happy to Help, to deliver the sessions, which will be focused on improving the health and wellbeing of participants.

Those who take part will learn new skills including how to cook easy recipes using nourishing foods, cooking on a budget and reducing food waste.

They will also be given meal bags to take home with them so they can put their new skills into practice, using the store cupboard items, other ingredients, cooking equipment and instructions provided to make their own tasty and healthy meals at home.

Lorraine Hirst director of Community Health-Works UK CIC said: “We will be helping residents in homes managed by NPH, and young people supported by Right Resolution CIC to learn some of the basics of shopping, cooking and eating well on a budget, whilst having fun in a supportive environment as part of our Cooking Good workshops.

“These are essential skills for people who may be living alone and need to make their money go further but at the same time to also support their physical and mental wellbeing by making healthy choices.”

The workshops will be delivered in NPH’s community hubs, and form a vital part of its resident training programme.

Amarjit Pawar, Director of Right Resolution CIC said: “This programme will offer the care leavers we support the opportunity to learn vital skills in healthy eating, food preparation and cooking, especially at a time when they will be transitioning into adulthood and living on their own.

“The young people we work with are really excited to attend.”

NPH residents who would like to find out more can get in touch with the resident involvement team on 01604 837836 or by emailing [email protected].