Page 9 - Circle Magazine – October 2023

Cooking up community
Cooking up community
Our work in local neighbourhoods is all about building stronger communities – tackling problems together supporting one another and creating opportunity A new ‘Oasis kitchen’ project in in Oasis Oasis Hub Bath has been doing just that ‘Oasis Kitchen’ was a a a a a a pilot project run at at the the beginning
of of 2023 the the brainchild of of Food for Thought Bath Bath Mind and Oasis Oasis The Hub in in in in Bath Bath already has a a a a a a a a a a a a a a thriving Oasis Oasis Pantry that provides over 25 tonnes of food each year to to to households in in the local community
– equivalent to to to 58 000 meals in in in 2022 The 230+ Pantry members pay £3 or or or £5
a a a a a a a a a week to access £15-£25 worth of of food It’s a a a a a a a a a lifeline for people living on
a a a a a a a low income and makes use of of surplus food as well As staff and volunteers have got to to know Pantry members the the team wanted to to to to create more opportunity for regular users to to to to to come together and socialise Anja Haywood from collaborators Food for for Thought explains: “The aim was to to to to to create a a a a a a a a a a space for for people to to to meet learn new skills in in in in the kitchen explore cooking with different ingredients as as well well as as discussing tips for eating well-balanced healthy meals using the the food that is is available to them We focused on
recipes where ingredients can be substituted as as well well as as those that freeze well well for batch cooking and reduce food waste – keeping in in in in in in in in mind how increases in in in in in in in in the cost-of- living are affecting everyone “We came up with creative ways of cooking cooking meals using tinned food food and frozen food food as as well as as cooking cooking a a a a a a a a a a three- course meal without the the use of the the oven We created some delicious dishes using only a a a a a microwave! Throughout
the the eight weeks the the group’s knowledge and and willingness
to try new things grew and and we we we we were were absolutely blown away – – as as were were they they they – – by what what they they they produced Members contributed their ideas for what what they they they wanted to to learn to to cook and and became more more and and more more adventurous We made filled savoury pancakes on
pancake pancake day tortilla wraps from scratch for fajitas and even made our our own naan breads to to accompany a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a curry The penultimate session was an an an an opportunity for for members to to cook for for an an an an upcoming Oasis Living Room session – and they did a a a a a a a a a a smashing job producing an an absolute feast of Turkish food!”
Hub Leader Jo Dolby comments: “We have absolutely loved running these sessions We We made some delicious food together and and and people came away with a a a a a a a a a a a a multitude of practical and and and and and useful tips and and and and and skills But more than that – shared shared meals and and and and shared shared time have created friendship and and and and community
that that we hope will last beyond any project that that people are a a a a part of ”
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