Parent & Carer Sessions

Running for ten years, our parents' cooking sessions evolved from the need of local parents to learn about cooking on a budget, whilst receiving a little extra support in their everyday lives. We cooked and ate a meal together, and the sessions provided a place to meet, to talk and to share problems, providing an escape from day-to-day stresses and issues.

Through building trusting relationships with all those who engaged, we were able to identify needs and issues for individuals as well as the whole family, working alongside the family unit to help them with a range of skills such as budgeting, health & nutrition, job applications, benefits advice, behaviour management strategies for dealing with their children, and any relevant signposting to specific or appropriate agencies that can offer specialist support. Being an advocate for families in this matter makes a marked difference in confidence, cohesion, communication, and the independence of each of the members within the family unit.

Belonging to a group can give a real sense of ownership & achievement, and together the group even made their own cookbook.

This group evolved into our cooking group Make A Meal Of It, which opened up to all ages and backgrounds whilst still keeping the core ethos of our original group.