Purpose
Our project is all about putting the fun back into food – broadening experience, gaining skills and confidence – and in people supporting one another in cooking together. We are proud to have worked with some influential local stakeholders who share our concern and desire to see our relationship with food change for the better.
Background
The project was originally funded by popular demand through People’s Millions. It then went on to receive National Lottery funding support until November 2019. The success of our work has led us to develop several exiting new partnership initiatives and we continue to work on new ways to reach, excite and educate groups and individuals.
Recent activities
During 2022 we continued to support delivery of a project with ‘Rock It Bolton’ – providing a range of food and music orientated activities which nurture confidence, skills and creativity in young people including young teens within the care system.
We organised a healthy lifestyles food event for young people with additional needs, with free cinema tickets for all those that participated. We also ran a winter activities programme with cooking demonstrations targeting vulnerable families and young people.
Impact and outcomes
Over the past year, a total of 1,226 individuals were engaged and supported through Friends of Fun Food.
With the benefit of a grant from Sainsbury’s our Friends of Fun Food project helped a total of 626 people access food, skills advice and support. By providing cooking experiences and demonstrations in a socially interactive and stimulating way, participants gained new experiences, insights and tolls to effect lifestyle changes for themselves.
We also provided pop-up interactive food demonstrations in Moss Bank Park as part of our 2021 summer lunches programme. This was supported and funded by Bolton Council through a Holiday Activity Fund grant. Over 600 individual young people signed into the 30 sessions that were available.
We are so appreciative of all those who have donated money for essential food purchases to make up the packs, and those who are continuing to donate food items on a weekly basis. A big, big thank you goes out to one and all!
You can learn more about how to make food donations here: Donate food
You can learn more about how to make monetary donations here: Donate money
You can register your interest in volunteering to help us here: Volunteer with us
It is only with your help and support that we can ensure the services we provide to help individuals and families in crisis, continue for as long as they are needed.
Thank you!
