Residents in Danesmoor have been sharpening their culinary skills at the Winter Cookery Workshop.
Dan Crossley, Director of Property Services at Rykneld Homes, recently attended one of the sessions to meet participants and see the workshop in action. The 11-week course is delivered by Rykneld Homes in partnership with the St Barnabas Centre and funded by Feeding Derbyshire.
Participants are provided with a recipe and all the ingredients they need to prepare a delicious family meal. This friendly group have the opportunity to socialise whilst preparing the meal and then can take home the meal they have prepared.
Each week, participants are provided with a new recipe and all the ingredients needed to prepare family-friendly meal in a relaxed and welcoming environment.
Along with learning practical cooking skills, the sessions offer a valuable opportunity to socialise, build confidence and meet other local people. Best of all, everyone gets to take their freshly prepared meal home to enjoy.
Dan was able to see participants making homemade pizzas from scratch – including kneading and resting the dough, preparing the toppings and creating a pizza to suit their tastes. Once cooked, the pizzas looked - and smelled - fantastic.
The pizza session was just one of many hearty dishes prepared during the course, with other recipes including chicken pie, vegetarian bean chilli and chicken and chorizo pasta.
One participant shared how much the group means to them: “I enjoy the social aspect of the group. I struggle with anxiety but have felt comfortable and happy at these sessions.
“My favourite recipe was the chicken pie. I even tried to cook it again at home and added some extra ingredients. It was yummy. My confidence is growing and I am looking forward to the rest of the sessions.”
Dan Crossley, said: “It was wonderful to meet some of our tenants in such a relaxed and fun environment.
“Community activities like this give local people the chance to try something new, meet other people, learn valuable skills and enjoy a hearty meal they’ve cooked themselves. Just as importantly, they help bring the community together and strengthen the connection between Rykneld Homes and the communities we serve.”
If you’d like more information about Rykneld Homes’ Community Involvement work, please visit our website www.rykneldhomes.org.uk.
