The idea
Please note that we are fundraising for the design stage of most of the kitchen refurbishments and that further fundraising will be needed to actually carry out the works. We will also need to secure planning permission before the capital works can take place.
The Love Burnt Oak Community Kitchen is an initiative designed to alleviate both the symptoms and causes of food poverty within Burnt Oak and surrounding areas.
In partnership with The Real Junk Food Project London North West(food sourcing) & International Gospel Church (Building space for shop, storage and community kitchen), Love Burnt Oak is currently providing a 'pay as you feel' supermarket on Wednesdays from 10am-14:30 Food is currently being provided from Morrison's (Colindale) & Mark's & Spencer's so far.
The overall goal will allow our community to learn about good food choices, buy food, cook and eat at affordable prices whilst improving employability through volunteering/work experience.
What we'll deliver
- Create storage and capacity for the 'pay what you feel' food shop
- Design the building renovation and kitchen refubishement which will become the for Love Burnt Oak Community Kitchen
Why it's a great idea
1. We have a multicultural community where low incomes are impacting food choices and some children are going to school on empty stomachs impacting their ability to learn. There is also a number of homeless people around the borough, who need feeding.
2. This community wants a 'hand up' not a 'hand out', this programme provides pathways to self-sustaining living without stigmatising its beneficiaries.
3. The project has already been started but lack of funds has slowed the progress.
4. The community already supports this programme because it is for them and by them.
5. This will improve the relationships between local shop owners and their customers and increase the partnership opportunities with other local organisations.
6. This model can be replicated to other area's, as a live example.
7. It leverages underused spaces inside a community building.
8. Service delivery provides volunteering and work experience opportunities.
9. Disabled access is also needed for elderly and prams
Steps to get it done
- Food Storage - Obtain quote for refurbising the food storage
- Kitchen - Obtain quote for the design and specification of the kitchen space
- Food Storage - Obtain funds to pay for the materials and labour to build the store room
- Kitchen - Gather measurements of the key spaces for the planning of the design
- Food Storage - Implement the refurbishment work
- Kitchen - Building regulation drawings and preparation of work details
- Kitchen - Preparation of detailed specification
- Kitchen -Issuing Tender Report for contractors to quote for the work required
- Kitchen - CDM Design Completion
- Kitchen - Practical Completion
- Kitchen - Defects rectification period and inspection
- Kitchen - Pilot Launch Celebration
- Food Storage - Open for use and stocking / replenishment
- Stage 1 Ongoing - Overall project, partner management, reporting and communication
This project will bring the heart back to a community, leveraging one simple concept. Food for all.
Food is central to all cultures and overcomes barriers quickly and unites easily. There are no barriers to participate and al are welcome to give or receive.
In the last 6 weeks the results so far are as follows:
1TON of food donated every week
1 Van
10 Volunteers providing the service
100 community shoppers/families provided for each week
£50 weekly donations (average)
And we are just getting started.
Once we have established a solid and consistent community service, we will be able to further enrich the community with other programmes regarding food education, homework club, counselling and performing arts.
All of this ties back to the Love Burt Oak Vision to make Burnt Oak a H.O.M.E for its residents.
H = Health & Wellbeing
O = Online digital inclusion
M = Money management, financial inclusion
E = Employability
