Kitchen Social & Loughborough Community Centre

Kitchen Social works with local organisations to create hubs where children, young people, their families and carers can play, make new friends, learn, and get a good balanced, free meal during the holidays. One such hub is Loughborough Community Centre in Brixton. It already delivered health, education, and play activities, and in partnership with the Mayor’s Fund can now provide food as well.

Covid-19 has increased the number of children and young people at risk of food insecurity, for whom sufficient quality or quantity of food is not guaranteed. School closures and social distancing measures have meant that children are missing out on playing with friends and other social activities.

Kitchen Social has coordinated relief efforts with its network of community hubs to provide food and activities to those who need them most during the pandemic.

Candice James, Loughborough Community Centre Manager, says: “I can’t thank Kitchen Social enough for providing food and additional support for our families during the Covid-19 crisis.

“Happy Lunch is so much more than a meal. For many children we visit, we are the only familiar faces outside of their home that they have seen since the lockdown. Our project is vital to the mental health and wellbeing of children.

Kitchen Social highlights include:

• 122 community hubs across 24 boroughs are taking part.
• 21,124 children and young people have benefitted since 2017.
• Kitchen Social has been included in the Mayor of London’s Food Strategy.

Candice reflects: “One thing I am taking away from this pandemic is the importance of community organisations like ours. Yes, we are small, but the difference we are making is mighty for the children and community we serve.”