We are incredibly grateful to the National Lottery Awards for All for generously awarding a grant of £19,020 towards our project, Cook & Connect: building community connections through food. This grant allows us to create welcoming spaces at our Hackney community kitchen where people can cook, eat, and build meaningful relationships together.
Bringing People Together Through Food
Over the course of this year, Cook & Connect will support more than 1,000 Hackney residents, using the shared experience of cooking and eating to reduce isolation and foster a sense of belonging. Building on our previous work tackling food poverty, this project places an emphasis on face-to-face connection through a series of free cookery sessions and community events, recognising how transformative shared experiences can be for wellbeing.
Creating Lasting Impact
Cook & Connect is focused on building sustained relationships, not one-off experiences. We aim to celebrate Hackney’s diverse food cultures and deepen our understanding of how community cooking strengthens wellbeing and neighbourhood ties. These learnings will be shared with partners and community cooking initiatives across the UK.
Our project was made possible thanks to #NationalLottery players. Their support enables community-led projects like ours to respond to local needs with care and ambition. We’re excited to welcome people around the table and build stronger, more connected communities, one shared meal at a time.
