Barking and Dagenham Council’s Good Food Plan is supporting a local Grow – Cook – Eat programme to ensure residents have the skills, resources and opportunities they need to access affordable, healthy and sustainable food. Over 500 residents have participated in cooking clubs at 8 community venues in in the borough so far, and the work is also generating new opportunities for residents interested in careers in food.
Local resident Hasina Akter, an experienced home chef and accomplished gardener, was struggling with the communication skills and confidence she felt she needed to pursue a career in catering.
The Council offered Hasina a place on one of our cooking clubs run out of the Marks Gate Community Hub. Undertaking this voluntary role enabled Hasina to improve her English so that should could communicate with others volunteering and attending the cooking clubs. Hasina brought a wealth of knowledge and experience of healthy and sustainable food recipes that she was keen to share within her community.
Through the volunteering programme Hasina was also able to undertake the food hygiene training in her native language – Bengali. As Hasina grew in confidence, she was encouraged to undertake a level 1 course in English as a Second Language (ESOL) and subsequently progressed to Level 2. These courses were delivered through the Adult College at the Marks Gate Community Hub. After successfully completing these courses, she has now embarked on her dream career in catering, allowing her to cook and serve food to her community. Hasina works at the Marks Gate Relief Project, cooking nearly 200 meals every week.
This is a great example of taking something you are passionate about – food – and turning it into your career. Here is what Hasina said about her experiences:
‘I was a socially isolated stay-at-home mum. I never thought I could achieve much in life apart from household chores.
I only realised my true potential when I started volunteering in the cooking clubs run by Marks Gate Relief Project. Through the cooking clubs I was able to meet like-minded people and improve my communication skills and confidence.
I am proud of myself because I have now found work in Marks Gate Relief Project’s soup kitchen. I cook and pack roughly 200 meals a week for the community. It is such a rewarding experience.’
