Success on menu at cook school

COOKING up a celebration are (from left) Louise Stanisauskis, Andrew Atherton, Teddy Witczak, John Lloyd, Steph Bell and Michelle Henshaw

AN innovative project designed to get people cooking has proved a red-hot recipe for success.

More than 60 people attended a celebration event to toast the completion of the scheme titled: Learn2Cook_Cook 2Learn.

The initiative was run by Oldham-based charity Threshold which provides supported accommodation and services for homeless and vulnerable people.

It teamed up with juice bar business bjuiced and Inspiri Personal Development to run cookery classes for 112 visitors over five months.

Those who took part included the elderly in sheltered accommodation, families and those on probation. As well as improving their cooking, the sessions also aimed to improve skills such as budgeting, numeracy and literacy as well as boosting confidence and self-esteem.

Learn2Cook_Cook2Learn was funded with £8,500 from the Government’s Communities for Health programme.

Andrew Atherton, from Threshold, is now looking for funding to continue the scheme in Oldham and hopes organisations such as First Choice Homes, children’s centres, the Probation Service and Housing 21 will come on board.

He said: “We would obviously love it to continue but a lot relies on funding.

“We are hoping to negotiate with some of the organisations we worked with in Oldham to buy the service.”