Through our Homeless Hub programme, we made a grant to support Caring in Bristol with their Cookery Class project.
Amanda Grimstead from the Charity has shared with us how the project has had an impact on people struggling with putting food on the table.
“Caring in Bristol has delivered a series of cookery classes over the last 6 months for members of our Bristol Goods Food Clubs which supports some of the most marginalised areas of our city.
Launched in March 2025, the classes are run by one of our dedicated Food Club Coordinators alongside volunteers – including one who first joined as a participant in 2024.
Sessions have taken place in partnership with other local food-focused charities, such as the Mazi Project who provided the kitchen space for our first two classes and FareShare – South West, who provided the surplus food that we could then put to good use.
In April we ran 2 different sessions where participants cooked hearty, affordable meals including a vegetable curry and 20 family-sized lasagnes, later distributed at one of our weekly Food Clubs.
Then, over the summer, we hosted two family-friendly workshops at Hartcliffe Methodist Church, where parents and children could work side by side to make frying pan pizzas and fresh sauces.
One participant reflected, “It was really good. Great getting to know new people and learning different things.”
Another added, “The food was all made from scratch with ingredients I can find at food club or at home.“
Each class follows a simple but powerful format: participants learn to cook a healthy, budget-friendly meal, prepare extra portions to take home, and end the session by sharing food together.
Volunteers see the wider impact too. As one explained, “The cooking classes give people vital skills and a social connection; these elements improve the quality of people’s lives.”
These classes are helping people in Bristol to cook well, eat well, and feel less isolated.
We’re excited to build on this success and expand our cookery programme in the year ahead.“
It is encouraging that these classes have been so useful, we are already talking with Caring in Bristol about the next project we can support.