We're building a community cookery school that supports people living in food poverty across the UK…
COVID-19 has significantly impacted how Bounceback Food CIC, our non-profit community cookery school, operates. Prior to lockdown, our outreach work (cookery workshops, foodbank drive at market events & catering services) predominantly supported people in Greater Manchester, Cheshire & North Wales. As the economic impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic starts to unfold, it is clear that we need to innovate and adapt our model so that we are able to support people living in food poverty nationwide.
Our Coronavirus Response
In keeping with the proactive way in which we’ve been fighting food poverty since 2014, our immediate Coronavirus response included:
- Pledging 5 million free licenses to our online Cooking & Nutrition Portal.
- Donating all remaining stock to our foodbank drive in the North-West.
- Adapting our catering service to deliver meals door to door.
- Launching online cookery workshops that provide free places for our beneficiaries.
Social Impact To Date
Since 2014 we have taught more than 2,500 people how to cook including stroke survivors, young carers, foodbank beneficiaries and elderly people living in sheltered accommodation. We have also donated over 10,000 items of food to foodbanks as part of our foodbank drive and generated almost 100,000 meals for people in need via our catering provision and workshops. As the furlough scheme comes to an end and claims for Universal Credit soar, it's vital that we scale up our social impact and fight food poverty nationwide!
Our Vision
Our team in central Manchester is now focussed on building a community cookery school that supports people living in food poverty across the UK by:
- Ensuring their nearest foodbank is stocked with good quality items of nutritious food & hygiene products.
- Providing them the opportunity to learn how to cook for free and supporting them with career progression in the food industry.
- Providing free hot nutritious meals at community events.
- Enabling them to learn about cooking, budgeting, nutrition, meal planning and reducing food waste with the provision of free access to our Cooking & Nutrition Portal.
Partner Charities
As part of this plan, we are now looking to expand our network of partner charities who benefit from:
- Free places on our monthly public cook-alongs!
- Free access to our Cooking & Nutrition Portal!
To find out how to apply to become one of our partner charities, please email info@bouncebackfood.co.uk and a member of our team will send you further information.
Help Us Grow
There are a number of ways that you can help us to scale up our social impact and fight food poverty nationwide! You can:
- Pre-order a copy of our next fundraising recipe book Secret Dishes From Around the World 2 that will be published on November 6th - it's our featured reward at the top of the page!
- Become a member of our community cookery school! There are 3 tiers available, all will provide you with 12 months access to our exciting Cooking & Nutrition Portal.
- Order a copy of the original Secret Dishes From Around the World cookbook that we released last year. It contains stunning illustrations from emerging artist Libby Element and tells the story of our social enterprise so far. The cookbook is also available as an eBook and an audiobook.
- Take part in one of our monthly online cook-alongs! We use the buy one, give one model to allocate free places to our network of partner charities. You could also buy one of our gift vouchers as a present for someone you know this Christmas!
- Have a listen to our podcast 'Share Your Secrets' which celebrates the diversity of food, art and community! Episodes include interviews with the artists involved in the production of Secret Dishes From Around the World 2, insights about community and culture from people in the featured countries and exclusive updates from Bounceback’s community cookery school team in Manchester. You can listen for free on a variety of platforms including: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Anchor or Overcast.