Reconnect through Cookery ✨👨‍🍳

On Friday our members prepared lots of fresh vegetables 🥦🥕🌽🥬 – we had cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, peas, and carrots to go with our delicious cottage pie 🥧.
We made it using 5% lean mince 🥩 and topped some with cheese 🧀 (and left some plain for those who prefer it that way!). Best of all – zero waste 🙌👏.
Everyone enjoyed the meal ❤️ and feedback is always fantastic! Huge thanks to everyone who helped out in the kitchen 👏, to Nat for sorting bingo & the quiz 🎶🎲, and to Peter the caretaker for setting up the hall 🙏.

💚 Why Healthy Eating Matters 💚
Eating fresh vegetables and balanced meals helps boost energy ⚡, improves mood 😊, supports overall health 🩺, and gives our members the confidence to try new foods 🍴.
These sessions make a huge difference by:
✨ Reducing isolation & loneliness 🤝
✨ Building independence and life skills 🥄
✨ Encouraging teamwork & confidence 💪
✨ Bringing joy and friendship to our members 💛
📌 Our next Cookery session: sausage dinner with vegetables and onion gravy 🌭🥔🧅.
🎵 On Wednesday we’ll be back together for Reconnect through Music 🎤🎶.
Thank you all for another lovely day 💛

Reconnect Through Cookery

On Friday, our members came together to make a delicious pasta bake.

🧅 They carefully prepared the onions
🥗 Added a fresh salad on the side
👨‍🍳 And everyone worked together to create a meal full of flavour and teamwork!

After the cooking, members enjoyed a fun quiz 🏆 which brought lots of laughter and learning.

💖 Thanks to Our volunteers – we couldn’t do it without you! Your support makes these sessions smooth and enjoyable. 🙌

📢 Our next cookery session will be held on 📅 Friday, 26th September, so bring your energy, smiles, and enthusiasm! ✨ We look forward to seeing you all then!

Reconnect Through Cookery

On Friday our members made a delicious Chinese Chicken Curry 🍛! They worked hard preparing peppers 🌶, onions 🧅, and mushrooms 🍄 before serving it with fluffy rice 🍚 and crispy prawn crackers 🦐. We enjoyed bingo 🎱 and a fun quiz 🤩📝 – plenty of laughs all round!
A huge thank you to all our amazing volunteers 🙌💙, and also to Peter the caretaker 🛠️👏 for setting up the tables.
A very special Happy 21st Birthday 🎉🎂🎁 to our wonderful volunteer Rees – we celebrated early with cake 🎂🍰!
Our members absolutely love these sessions 🥰💖 – cooking, eating together, and having fun!

Reconnect Through Cookery Fun!

On Friday we kept it fresh and tasty! Our amazing members prepared a colourful salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, spring onions, radish, and lettuce 🥒🍅🧅🥬— then made their own wraps with cheese, ham, chicken, or a bit of everything! 😋🌯
👏 A huge thank you to our fantastic volunteers for all your help, to Ffion for the brilliant quiz 🧠🎉, and to Pete the caretaker for setting everything up — you’re a legend! ⭐🛠️ A big welcome to our new member Rachael — it was lovely to have you join us today, and we can’t wait to see you again! 😊💚
🎶 We’ll see everyone on Wednesday for Reconnect Through Music — get ready to sing, dance, and have a great time! 🎤💃🕺

Reconnect Through Cookery Update!

Friday was all about fresh flavours and fun! Our amazing members got stuck in preparing delicious salads with:
🥬 lettuce, 🍅 tomatoes, 🧅 red onion, 🫑 peppers, 🥒 cucumber, 🧄 garlic, and a sprinkle of herbs!
We had three mouthwatering options:
🍝 One with creamy tomato and bacon sauce, topped with melty ham and cheese 🧀
🐟 A tuna, mayo and sweetcorn mix – a classic favourite!
🥗 And loads of freshly chopped salad for everyone to enjoy 💚
Big thanks to:
🎉 Nat for calling out a fun game of bingo
🧠 Ffion for a fab quiz
🎟️ Amy for sorting the raffle
👩‍🍳 And everyone who helped out in the kitchen – you’re all stars!
💃 We’re already buzzing for next week’s Hawaiian Summer Fiesta! Expect:
🌭 Hotdogs
🍗 Chicken burgers
🥬 Homemade slaw
🍦 Ice-cream
🎶 Dancing, bingo & a quiz!
These sessions mean the world to our members — they’re a chance to try new foods, make friends, and learn together in a fun, supportive space 💛🌈

Reconnect Through Cookery Fun!

At our first July session of Reconnect Through Cookery, our amazing members got hands-on prepping onions 🧅, mushrooms 🍄, and peppers 🌶️ to add to our delicious Mayflower chicken curry! Some preferred it plain – all served with plain or vegetable rice 🍚 and crunchy prawn crackers 🦐. YUM!
We had a sweet treat too – a slice of chocolate cake 🍰 to celebrate Reese’s birthday! 🎂🥳
After lunch, we had a brilliant time playing bingo 🎱 and testing our brains with a fun quiz 🧠 — big shoutout to: 💛 Peter the caretaker for all his support
💛 Sarah for being our bingo boss
💛 Nat for hosting the quiz like a pro!
These sessions aren’t just about food – they’re about friendship, laughter, learning new skills, reducing isolation, and having a great time together. 💬👫🧠
Thank you to our fab volunteers and members for making it all possible – you’re the heart of Reconnect 💚

Reconnect through Cookery Update

What a fabulous (and very warm!) session we had at the end of June! ☀️
Our wonderful group made three amazing pasta bakes:
🍝 Cold tuna pasta with mayo & sweetcorn
🔥 Hot tuna bake with mushrooms, peas & sweetcorn
🌭 Hot Mattessons reduced-fat sausage bake with mushrooms, peas & sweetcorn
🧀 All topped with melty cheddar and served with fresh salad & crusty French loaf – simply delicious! 😋🥖
Our members prepared a gorgeous, colourful salad full of:
🥬 Lettuce 🥒 Cucumbers 🌶 Peppers 🌰 Spring onions 🌰 Red onions 🍅 Tomatoes 🥬 Beetroot – it was fresh, healthy and beautifully presented!
🙏 A huge thank you to:
🎟 Sarah for doing the raffle
🧠 Hayley for the fun quiz
👩‍🍳 Cheryl, Helen, Libby, Connor & Ress for all your help in the kitchen
🧹 Peter the caretaker for setting up
👏 And everyone else who supports the smooth running of our sessions
💚 The food was so tasty there was hardly any waste! Even our salad trimmings went to the horses (with the owner’s permission 🐴) on the way home – nothing wasted!
💰 All raffle money goes toward buying prizes and refreshments – thank you for your support! This project is funded by the Postcode Lottery, helping us make every session special.

Reconnect Through Cookery

Reconnect through Cookery was a huge hit again last week! We rolled up our sleeves and made a delicious homemade lasagna, served with warm, golden garlic bread – yum! Our amazing members also prepared a colourful fresh salad filled with juicy tomatoes, crispy lettuce, zesty spring onions, crunchy red onions, cool cucumber, and tasty mushrooms – the perfect combo to go with our lasagna!

A massive THANK YOU to all our fantastic volunteers – you’re the heart of our sessions – and to Peter our caretaker for helping set up the hall. You’re all superstars! We’ll see you again in two weeks for a flavour-packed session with curry and rice – we can’t wait!

Cooking, sharing, laughing, and reconnecting – that’s what it’s all about!

Reconnect through Cookery – Cottage Pie Delight!

On Friday we whipped up a delicious cottage pie using lean mince, buttery mash, fresh vegetables, and rich gravy! Our amazing members prepared cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, onions, and mushrooms to add to the mince, making it a hearty and wholesome meal.

A big shoutout to Sarah for keeping everything running smoothly on the floor, and Nat for helping with the tables. And a huge THANK YOU to Rees, Connor, Nat, and Delyth for helping out in the kitchen. Cheryl did a fab job dishing up a delicious lunch, and we couldn’t have done it without Peter, our awesome caretaker, who’s always lending a hand.

Our members had a blast cooking, eating together, and catching up. They love these sessions for making friends, sharing meals, and having a good laugh. The quiz was a big hit too! We’ll see you all in two weeks for another delicious session where we’ll be making lasagne and serving it up with a fresh salad!