With generous funding from the National Lottery Community Fund, Eat Club is currently delivering year long weekly sessions in the New Horizons Youth Centre. Sadhbh Moore who is the session leader for the project, tells of her experience:
The New Horizon Youth Centre is a great facility, and I for one am so glad it exists. I appreciate so much the work they do to support homeless and at risk young people in London. I think the collaboration with Eat Club of bringing simple cookery skills and cheap and healthy eating tips are invaluable for all young people, but the young adults here really do seem to gain a lot from it. Some have gone on to apply for jobs in the food services industry and professional kitchens. Others have said it’s the best meal they’ve had in a long time (although they do get great meals at the centre in the day too 🙂 but I hope that extra special element in the meals they cook comes from a sense of pride and increased confidence that they have made the dishes we sit down to eat together. People often ask for recipes, and go on to make it again, or even get involved in helping in the main kitchen there on other days.
The sessions are also contributing towards the young people receiving their cookery and nutrition AQA qualifications. It’s a great break from other things that might be going on in their lives, and hopefully provides some respite and joy in their day. I always make sure it’s a warm and welcoming environment and thanks to the support of the wonderful staff, the young people are generally really supportive of each other and teach and encourage each other too.