I've raised £2000 to install vital kitchen equipment in a Brighton community cookery school #SepTenner
Organised by Brighton & Hove Food Partnership
Story
It’s SepTenner time!
Thanks to the overwhelming support for our crowdfund campaign earlier this year, our vision of a Community Kitchen in Brighton is now a reality. Despite this success, owing to unforeseen circumstances, we still need a few essential items to finish off this incredible space.
If the same number of people who donated during our crowdfund could give just £10 each, we could buy and install a much-needed commercial dishwasher, sound-proofing and washer-dryer. These items will improve the courses for those benefiting from them, and make a huge difference to the team of dedicated staff and volunteers who make this work possible.
The story so far
The Brighton & Hove Food Partnership opened its flagship Community Kitchen, on Queens Road, Brighton, in June this year following our Kit Out The Kitchen campaign in February. This saw an amazing £27,305 raised via crowdfunding to finish building our new cookery school - a place where everyone can experience the benefits of cooking and eating together.
The Community Kitchen builds on the Food Partnership's 10 years experience of teaching cookery skills and running community food activities. Since opening, we have already run dozens of cooking classes, including courses for those on low incomes and people with learning difficulties, and we have hosted community groups such as Age UK, Refugee Radio and the Carers Centre, as well as local companies and keen cooks.
However, owing to unforeseen circumstances, we still lack some essentials – and we know that these items will improve delivery of our courses in this incredible space, both for those benefiting from them and for those delivering them.
Our Community Kitchen is a valuable resource. Just read what people have said:
It's helped me think about healthy food. It's helped me emotionally getting connected to other people while I am grieving the loss of my husband. – participant on Jamie’s Ministry of Food community cookery course.
My favourite week was last week. I loved the fishcakes. They were just right. – participant on Healthy Hearts course for people with learning disabilities.
Great evening, entertaining and enjoyable, but informative too – participant on Authentic Italian evening workshop.
The appeal
In short, we need:
* A commercial dishwasher. We now realise the benefits one of these could bring! A 5-minute wash cycle vs the 30-60 minutes of a domestic machine would mean our volunteers won't be washing up past midnight after evening classes. We currently wash all dishes by hand. Remaining cost - £2,000
* (A washer-dryer. This was one of the items cut from our wish list after asbestos was discovered during the Kitchen’s build, leading to unexpected extra expenditure. Kitchen staff are currently taking home huge piles of dirty aprons and dish towels. Cost - £500) - NOW REMOVED FROM THE TOTAL as this has been donated by Infinity Foods - THANK YOU!
* Sound-proofing. Our kitchen is spacious, with lovely high ceilings, but this can cause issues with sound reverberation which particularly impact on more vulnerable participants. A few simple modifications (eg sound panels) could make a massive difference. Cost - £400 (if we raise over £2k, all funds will go towards these improvements)
Our SepTenner campaign could ensure our autumn courses start with these crucial items in place.
Please donate £10 (or more if you can!) before 30 September.
Please share your support on social media using #SepTenner and @btnkitchen. Share a photo of yourself with a ten-pound note to be entered into our competition for a free cookery class place. Social media is a proven way to increase donations!
With many thanks
The team at BHFP
