An exciting project that brings older people together using food is hoping that it has all the right ingredients to win a prize in a national competition.
Age UK County Durham is delighted that their innovative Come Eat Together project is a finalist, along with six other projects, in the National Lottery Awards Best Health Project category.
The awards are an annual search to find the UK’s favourite lottery-funded projects and celebrate and recognise the difference that those projects have made to people, places and communities.
Come Eat Together is a volunteer peer support project which aims to improve older people’s ability to access, cook and enjoy healthy food together, helping them to be more resilient and better able to cope with life stage changes such as retirement, bereavement or ill health.
Iris, 67, is a widow who is coming to terms with life on her own. She was taken to the Dine and Dance in Shildon Civic Hall by her sister-in-law. She said, “I didn’t want to go; I was miserable and I didn’t want to dance. But my sister insisted so I got up to shut her up. But everyone was so friendly that I relaxed and then I joined the lunch club at Bishop Auckland College. It is just wonderful. The students make us so welcome and the two course meal prepared by the catering students is always delicious.
Iris went on to say, “There is a lovely atmosphere and I’ve met lots of new people and made new friends.
“Following the meal they offer us all sorts of activities from pamper sessions, to help with IT or even car maintenance. The students showed me how to check my oil and water and the tyre pressure. They showed me how to change a wheel and now I know I can’t do it myself and I will leave it to roadside assistance!
“I made a bird box in the woodwork department, spent a week painting it and I had a pair of blue tits nest in it. They’ve now reared their young and flew the nest.
“I would like to thank everyone involved in the project and I hope we win!”
Following a successful pilot, Age UK County Durham has received a grant from the Big Lottery Fund’s Silver Dreams Programme to roll out Come Eat Together across more communities in County Durham over the next four years. They will also be producing toolkits to enable older people around the country to benefit.
Sara Collins, project coordinator said, “We think Come Eat Together has the recipe for success. Right from the start older people have helped us design the project, they chose the logo, they choose the menus for the lunch clubs, they give talks to others about growing fruit and vegetables, they help to run the shopping clubs and show others how to shop online.
“The young people who get involved in the project find it really enjoyable and rewarding. We bring people together with food in a colourful and friendly way and it benefits everyone!”
Harriet Gibbon, Chief Executive of Age UK County Durham said, “Winning this award will significantly raise the profile of Come Eat Together as we roll it out across County Durham, helping us to reach more vulnerable older people and addressing their real problems of social isolation and malnutrition in local, practical and sustainable ways.”
Come Eat Together needs your vote to help them win. People have until midnight on July 23rd to register their vote.
To vote visit www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/project/come-eat-together or ring 0844 836 9699.
For more information about Come Eat Together visit www.comeeattogether.org or call 0191 374 6577.
Bishop Auckland's local community newspaper.
