WHO WE ARE:

We believe in an equitable world where no one goes hungry and everyone has access to enough nutritious, planet-friendly food of their preference enabling them to thrive.

Our mission is to make this a reality by providing wrap around food support, giving people the time, space and skills to eat nutritious food that fits their budget

WHAT YOUR SUPPORT WILL DO?

Community Made is a community-led food support for all community members struggling with their financial wellbeing. With your support we can continue to support our community over the winter months.

Your support will help us to:

• Come together to cook 400 meals a week for people who urgently need food support.
• Make monthly welfare calls to provide someone to talk to and refer recipients to financial and wellbeing support services in Hackney.
• Cook and deliver 6000 nutrient-dense and culturally appropriate meals to Hackney residents in need of food assistance via our carbon-neutral cycle courier service.
• Build a sense of community and ownership among meal recipients by allowing them to be part of the volunteer team that cook the meals.
• Advise and support those who are ready to transition to our free community cookery classes within their budget.

Our cookery classes provide access to key skills in cooking nutritious food on a budget, building confidence and knowledge in the current financial climate whilst offering free social activities and a place to feel connected to the community. By coming to our cookery classes people feel empowered about their financial resilience and their overall wellbeing too.

YOU CAN HELP OTHERS LIKE MAY

May has received this wrap around food support. When she was sick, she first received free meals, then began attending budget cooking classes:

"MIH became my lifeline when I suffered breast cancer and had major breast surgery. MIH kept me going, fighting as well as healing well because of the free food they deliver to my home when I cannot cook. It was hard to be diagnosed with a medical condition but my Cooking a Budget Meal [course] perked my hope to live long and healthy. "

WHY DO WE DO THIS?

We are one of the few community projects in London that offers people short-term food support along with building joy and skills to improve long-term economic, social, and environmental resilience:

• One in seven children in our community don't eat breakfast before going to school, negatively affecting their learning abilities.
• Engaging in community activities is important for 21% of adults in Hackney and City of London who report feeling lonely often, always, or sometimes.
• A third of people living with a disability in Hackney are 65 and are at risk of isolation
• A plant-based diet helps people participate in the green economy during this climate emergency
• Having a healthy diet can reduce the risk of chronic diseases and improve quality of life. Hackney has a higher premature mortality rate than the average London borough.*

We offer a safe, all-year-round space where community members from all walks of life can come together, and feel supported to gain the knowledge and skills they need, especially this winter.

OUR APPROACH

We can achieve all this at our plant-based community cookery school in the heart of East London. We welcome everyone here who wants to build their cooking confidence, improve their health, needs help with food in the short-term or wants to help cook for the community. We pay special attention to providing a range of diverse culinary cuisines across all our work. The meals are made using donated food surplus and purchased specialist cultural ingredients.

We work with Hackney Council, Felix Project, City Harvest, Clapton Commons, local primary schools, youth Clubs, Hackney Caribbean Elderly Association, Hackney Circle, You Make It!, Czech School Without Borders, Sista Space, and Homerton Hospital in order to serve the community.

Any additional funds raised will allow us to invest in our Community Made programme beyond winter  - nothing will go to waste!

*Statistics sourced from London Borough of Hackney Council and Office for National Statistics