The Kitchen is about bringing the heart of the family back in to the community by providing a "home" environment, accessible to all, where people of all ages and backgrounds can come together around the shared experience of food.

Despite the clear links between social eating and social bonding, surveys show that many meals in the UK are eaten alone. With busy lives and hectic work schedules, around a third of weekday evening meals are eaten in isolation. Many people growing up today rarely experience family or communal meals, and without this positive community environment society seems to be moving from togetherness to isolation.

Run by the team behind the Thanet Iceberg Project, the Kitchen will be more than just a coffee shop, but will also serve as the welcome point for everyone who comes to access the charitable work of the Project. The Kitchen will allow vulnerable clients to relax and socialise with others over nourishing food, helping them feel more connected.

Committed to working to reduce local food poverty by offering affordable, quality food, The Kitchen will use of charitable food "surplus" donations from organisations such as FareShare, as well as local food businesses. The menu will change every day according to ingredients available.

Our pricing will be a two tier system - "need it" and "want it". Those who are willing and able to pay a fair price for their food and drink will know that the profit from their orders will be going back in to the business to enable those less able to pay, to get the same quality and quantity of food at a vastly reduced rate - "paying it forward" if you like.

The premises will also host a Community Fridge, giving local residents access to surplus food shared by local businesses and each other. It will help community connections whilst helping families and invididuals save money and reduce food waste.

In addition, as a business based in a seaside town we are also committed to reducing product waste and reducing reliance on plastic.

The Kitchen will:

- welcome all in our community in to our "family kitchen" where they can find support and friendship.

- promote and meet the needs of the local community, by becoming a central point of opportunity, access and information for local community activities.

- be a catalyst for breaking down communication barriers and building strong cross-community connections - vital in our local area as regeneration leads to a divided community of "incomers" and "locals".

- strive to provide a calm and safe place where people can access the help they need in a friendly and non-clinical setting.

How we will spend the money

Having found an ideally situated property, on the beautiful Margate coastline, we need to raise funds to:

- fire & soundproof ceilings

- renovate and equip kitchen facilities to appropriate standards

- repair existing disabled toilet & add fully accessible “wet room”

- update windows & frontage providing full disabled access

- decorate upstairs & downstairs