A COMMUNITY cookery school has today launched an appeal for donations so it can run a free service delivering food to vulnerable people during the coronavirus outbreak.

Charity Made In Hackney is seeking to raise £30,000 to pivot their services from providing plant based cookery classes into a food home delivery service for those who are in need of support.

Made In Hackney said: “As the COVID19 situation began to escalate last week the kitchen team were horrified to realise they would need to cancel all their classes, community feasts and fundraising events. Not only is this disastrous for the charities future but also for the vulnerable people who rely on its services.”

The organisation has worked with 15,000 Londoners through their free to attend programme of community cookery classes and skills training.

Young carers, low income families, adults with educational needs, the elderly, people with long term health challenges and women’s refuge residents are all among those who have used the charity’s services.

In response to the potentially devastating impact the pandemic could have on the charity and the people it serves, the organisation decided to develop a different service for the elderly, people with health problems and people whose livelihoods have been affected.

Made In Hackney founder Sarah Bentley said: “This is an emergency. There is a very real risk of our most vulnerable community members going hungry and becoming extremely isolated. If we can’t teach cookery classes – then we need to get nourishing food delivered to the people who need it most another way.”

The free nutritious food will be delivered directly to the doors of those in need via a non-contact bicycle courier service.

As well as dropping off the food, couriers will also check to see how people are coping and if they need any extra support.

The organisation plans to provide food within Hackney with a potential to expand to surrounding boroughs. 

To find out more about the campaign, click here.