“I am truly pleased with that event. Particularly, the ambience, involvement, and at the end taking care of each other while eating as a family gave me immense joy and unforgettable moments.”
In today’s difficult global climate, marked by conflict and uncertainty, our close partnership with organisations supporting migrants, refugees and asylum seekers allows us to offer something simple but powerful: building safe, welcoming spaces where people can come together, cook, and feel part of a community.
Over the past decade, Made in Hackney has supported more than 500,000 people locally, nationally, and globally through food-based programmes. Alongside sharing food and skills, these sessions contribute to our wider work exploring how community kitchens can support integration, wellbeing, and participation for people affected by displacement and inequality.
Our local partners work with migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers who are navigating complex challenges, including temporary or overcrowded housing, limited access to cooking facilities, low incomes, and insecure immigration status such as No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF). These pressures are often compounded by trauma, language barriers and racism, which can contribute to isolation and increase the risk of food insecurity.
In this context, our classes offer a warm, consistent space for connection, confidence-building, and shared joy through food. Our partnership with local organisations Micro Rainbow and Revoke has shown how powerful cooking and sharing food can be in bringing people from different migration journeys together.
Two classes took place after Ramadan this year, including a Micro Rainbow session held as an Eid celebration, bringing people together in a joyful, inclusive atmosphere. Other sessions introduced participants to new cuisines, encouraging curiosity and exchange in a journey of learning, discovery, and community connection.
We are aiming for consistent delivery model that builds a trusted community kitchen space over time, recognising that sustained engagement is essential for supporting people affected by displacement, trauma, and structural inequality.
