16/02/2023 - Permalink

News from our partners: Cookery classes on the menu as community kitchen and housing organisation join forces

Related topics: Community / Cost of living / Housing / Leisure, culture and heritage / Partner organisations

Tenants with a Shropshire housing organisation are being given the chance to cook up a treat at a series of free workshops with a community kitchen.

People at a table in a community kitchen, looking at the camera and smiling

Dean Carroll at a trial cookery workshop with Osnosh and STAR Housing

Shropshire Towns and Rural Housing (STAR Housing) and OsNosh have joined forces to offer special cookery courses which will help tenants cook up tasty and cost-effective meals so that they can eat well for less.

The courses will consist of three one-hour classes with all ingredients and equipment provided, as well as recipe cards and a meal. Every household taking part will receive a free slow cooker to help them produce their own healthy and tasty meals from low-cost ingredients in a way that is energy efficient.

They launched on 8 February 2023 with the first course fully booked, but places are still available at the following workshops:

  • Wednesday 1, 8, 15 March, 10.30am to 11.30am at Cedar Close Community Room, St Martins, SY11 3QF
  • Wednesday 22, 29 March and 5 April, 6pm -7pm at Monkmoor Court Community Room, Oswestry, SY11 2XF

Dean Carroll, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for growth, regeneration and housing, urged tenants to take advantage of the offer:-

“These workshops are a fantastic initiative for our community, bringing people together to socialise, learn new skills, and come away with some delicious food at the end. I have been lucky enough to take part in one myself, and know that they will be really enjoyable and valuable for anybody who is able to attend. Huge thanks to the organisers and volunteers for their skill and generosity, making this scheme possible.”

Ayyaz Ahmed, STAR Housing’s head of neighbourhoods, said the organisation was delighted to have started cookery workshops in partnership with OsNosh:-

“The workshops are one of our responses to the current cost of living crisis, which we know is having a detrimental impact within our communities. We hope that the workshops will have an ongoing and positive impact to our residents by providing them with the knowledge and resources to make their food go further.

“We would like to encourage all our residents of any ability to get involved with this new initiative, which we plan to continue to offer in more locations throughout 2023,”

He added that STAR Housing could arrange help with travel and any extra support, and the scheme would be rolled out across south Shropshire later in the year.

To register for a place visit  https://www.starhousing.org.uk/supporting-you/star-cooking-workshops/star-cooking-workshop-sign-up-form/, speak to a housing officer or drop into OsNosh on Willow Street.