Why?
To provide young people with the confidence to read recipes, prepare food and cook for others. The group also enables a sharing of common experiences.
What?
The ‘Come Dine with Us’ group is designed to increase independence skills by asking young people to plan, budget, prepare and cook a meal. The meal is eaten together. Initially the group was for care leavers but has been extended to include young people in care.
What?
Initially the group was for care leavers but has been extended to include young people in care. The Leaving Care Team Leader explained
“We meet once a month … we’ve got professional kitchens that we use so everyone’s got a kitchen space. We cook together. We’ve got a cookery book that we add to … and that’s linked to our allotment. We’re growing food on our allotment that we then cook, so we show people where it comes from then we take it into our kitchen to prepare it.”
Impact
Young people felt the group was very important . One care leaver said the group was “really fun, and it helps with people skills, food and confidence.”
The ‘Come Dine with Us’ concept has been successful and extended. At Christmas and at a summer BBQ leaving care workers and social workers cook for and serve a meal to a large group of young people.