The Mayor of Reading Cllr Jenny Rynn joined homeless people from Hamble Court* to celebrate the opening of a new skills and healthy eating Community Kitchen.

“When a homeless person first comes to us they often need help with developing skills around things like healthy eating and cooking on a budget, so this new kitchen will be a lifeline to help them successfully manage when they eventually move on,” said Riverside’s Team Leader at Hamble Court, Rachel Irons. “Importantly, our Community Kitchen will also be a resource for the wider community and we are already working with community agencies across Reading.”

One of Hamble Court’s residents has already benefited from the new kitchen and said:

“While I was homeless I didn’t really have the chance to cook for myself and plan out healthy meals so the training I’ve had has really helped me feel more confident.”

 Staff at Hamble Court are also a key part of the Community Kitchen and all have been trained in basic food hygiene so that they can support their residents.

Communal homemade meals have started and gone down a storm with weekly group cooking and food sharing now a regular feature at the scheme.

Church Housing Trust raised nearly £22,000 to fund the Community Kitchen, allowing a once bare room to be turned into a communal hub for the Reading project.

*Hamble Court is a supported housing project run by CHT’s partner Riverside-ECHG and provides temporary housing, support and skills training for 35 formerly homeless men and women.