Helping people through the cost-of-living crisis with nourishing food support, community feasts and plant-based budget cookery classes.
by Frances Humber in London, England, United Kingdom
Donations to our project will be matched by the Cost of Living Boost up to the value of £250 to help us tackle the cost of living crisis.
Please note only one donation per supporter will be matched by the Cost of Living Boost. View the Terms & Conditions.
The more money we raise the more people we can support to stay healthy and well-nourished through the cost of living crisis.
More funds mean we can provide more food support, more budget cookery classes, and host more joyful community feasts. And goodness knows, do need some more joy right now!
Are you outraged at the cost-of-living crisis, rising rates of hunger, inaction on climate change and rampant inequalities? YES? Us too. Let's do something about it - together.
At Made In Hackney we believe access to good food is a human right - not a privilege. We therefore work across cultures and communities to provide the crucial cookery skills and food support our community needs to stay well-nourished during these economically turbulent, unjust times.
Our work has never been more crucial. The cost-of-living crisis is plunging thousands of households into poverty, hunger and ill health. It's an injustice - and we need top level political action to change it. But in the meantime, we need to support our community through the difficult months ahead with nourishing planet friendly food.
Can you support us to keep providing our vital services?
What We Do...
Provide thousands of emergency plant-based meals each week for households across Hackney in need of nourishing, culturally diverse food support.
Provide enriching food education experiences via online and in-person classes across London that give people the skills to grow, cook and eat more plants on a low budget.
We strive to do all the above with joy, respect and collaboration.
Each year we work with 10,000 people and influence over 100,000 people to change their diet to improve the health of both people and planet.
About Our Community Meal Service
“My job just doesn't cover all our living expenses anymore. Without the food support from Made In Hackney, my kids would have gone hungry. They've got us out a hole while I work out what to do next." Jade, mother of 3
We believe everyone should have access to enough nutritious, tasty food of their preference.
The UK has more than enough food for everyone to be well nourished. But the reality is 8 million people go hungry on a daily basis, this figure expected to rise over the coming months. In a country as well-resourced as the UK, this is wrong.
Our meal service tackles this injustice with nutritious, plant-based, culturally representative meals delivered by cycle couriers to our community members who need it most.
Today our in-house team of chefs and volunteers prepare over 1000 meals a week with input from our community meal service family on what dishes they’d like on the menu.
Our service is more than a meal. It’s care, it's connection, it’s community.
In that spirit we have restarted our community feast events (paused previously during the pandemic) that bring people together to share free, delicious food, laughter, music, culture and take-away bags of essential free groceries.
About Our Community Cookery School
“Made In Hackney's cooking classes have been a game changer for me and my family. I'm making healthier meals from scratch and saving money on my shopping bill. I know how to use cheaper ingredients like flour and lentils. Rising costs are scary and these skills are helping me to cope." Margaret, class participant
Watch a video about out cookery school here.
Learning to cook and eat more plants is one of the most impactful things you can do for the health of people and the planet. During the cost-of-living crisis, these core life skills - knowing how to prepare a tasty, nutritious meal from scratch using low-cost ingredients - could not be more crucial.
Having the confidence and skills to cook meals from scratch is a vital tool in tackling food poverty, child-hood obesity and lifestyle related diseases such as diabetes type 2 and cardiovascular disease.
We’ve seen first-hand the positive impact it can have with class attendees lowering their blood pressure, having their type 2 diabetes go into remission, curing chronic bowel complaints, supporting recovery from eating disorders and even learning to cook for the first-time age 82 after the loss of a partner.
Our classes take place in-person and online and we work with a range of community groups from young carers and young people in care, families, pensioners, people with long-term health challenges, hostel residents, people in recovery and other community groups.
Feeling inspired? Support us to keep doing what we do!