The Chester Bluecoat Charity is thrilled with the impact made following a grant awarded to Wild Salt CIC, a community cooking school, which enabled them to expand into Chester.
Photo Credit: Wild Salt
Wild Salt CIC delivers empowering cooking lessons to those aged 18 – 22 who have been through the care system, where they learn about food nutrition and basic cooking skills. During the sessions, they learn how to cook a meal which is then enjoyed together, with the social interaction helping to improve mental health and create lasting friendships.
The £450 award funded 10 sessions with 50 young people benefitting from them in total. All the food and equipment required, including a voluntary local chef, was covered and the University of Chester donated their facilities meaning the sessions were free for attendees.
The cooking and nutrition skills learnt are invaluable, with one pupil saying “Thanks to the classes I am now able to budget for the whole week using mainly plant based ingredients to enhance my mood, concentration and my energy levels.”
Esther, who founded Wild Salt CIC, commented “Unfortunately, many do not have the knowledge or skills to understand nutrition or to prepare a meal from scratch, so we are trying to change this, one group at a time. We get amazing feedback from our sessions on the knowledge gained, however what stands out for attendees is the opportunity to engage and eat their meal with the group. This demonstrates how valuable social interaction is as part of what we do.”
This point was reiterated by an attendee who said “I loved cooking with fellow students and speaking about our experiences of growing up.”
The Chester Bluecoat Charity was delighted to be able to support Wild Salt CIC as not only are they empowering disadvantaged young people by teaching them basic life skills, they are also supporting their mental health and wellbeing. The meals they cooked up, such as chickpea masala, sound delicious and we can’t wait to try out their recipes!
