Using food and cooking to bring communities together

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Working with Five Lamps Thornaby, we have been running community pop-ups around the town, specifically targeting pensioners and children.  Trying to bring some much-needed joy to the area, we take nominations for pensioners to receive free fish and chips on Fridays, or we have made afternoon tea from Hartington Rd and delivered them door to door.  As we’ve been delivering the meals, we have come across very isolated people who have told us their problems and issues, and between us and Five Lamps, we have been able to help more than just the food. 

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We ran a Halloween event by decorating Five Lamp's minibus and driving around the streets of Thornaby, handing out treats and goodies to the children who came out of the houses to see us.  There was a completion for best costume and best-decorated house. 

We held 3 pop up Christmas events during December, serving hot chocolate and goodies from Cultivate Tees Valley food trailer.  We’d collected toys and gifts and allowed children to take a couple along with selection boxes and sweets.  This was not an advertised event, and we were able to keep to Covid guidelines.  

Wanting to bring together both generations, we asked local school children to write letters to local pensioners and put them in baubles we’d supplied.  The pensioners did the same, and we were able to do a swap.  The messages were heartwarming and brought so much joy to both generations.

Thanks to funding and with the help of amazing volunteers, 100 Christmas gift bags were put together and distributed to pensioners who were spending Christmas alone. 

 

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