A look at this year’s Summer Kitchen in numbers as final session is held in Margate

There was a packed hall at Drapers Mills Primary this evening (August 28) for the final Summer Kitchen session of the season.

The Summer-long programme is headed up by Sharon Goodyer, who created Our Kitchen On The Isle Of Thanet, in 2017, and was this year is held at Drapers Mills school in Margate and Dame Janet primary in Ramsgate.

The aim was not just to combat hunger but to bring people together with activities and the company of other families during the afternoon and then meals late afternoon/evening.

There were also a series of speakers, including council leader Bob Bayford tonight, free haircuts, a giveaway of tickets for activities and theatre shows, music and workshops as well as fun with Inclusive Sport.

For the final meal chicken curry, pilau rice and vegetable curry were cooked and donated by Raushan’s business Ramsgate Tandoori.

The Summer Kitchen in numbers

600 hours of volunteer time from Sainsbury Westwood staff

14 sessions totalling 84 hours

2 sites

4 paid staff

Dame Janet there has had an average of 26 people daily

Drapers Mills average has been 75 people a day

Making an average of 1,414 people across both sites during the project

More than 4,000 meals have been served

Plus nearly 600 people fed at the Salvation Army

A cost of approximately £6 a person per day

Giveaway of more than £5,000 worth of vouchers and coupons

Combined members grant funding from Cllr Constantine and Cllr Lewis of £8,000

£2,500 from the Masons,

£2,000 from Pfizer,

£2,350 from Ramsgate Town Council,

£200 from the Mothers’ Union

Funding from Sainsbury’s still to be totalled

Involvement from dozens of groups, businesses and organisations including Gadd’s food and Drink; Inclusive Sport, Your Leisure, Thanet Community Forest School, Kent Gleaners,Thanet, Fareshare, Windmill Allotments, Geoff Philpott’s farm, Thanet council, county councillors Barry Lewis and Karen Constantine, Ramsgate mayor Raushan Ara, isle children’s centres, The Little Art Cart and the Street Games Fit and Fed programme.

Plans for 2020

The project has helped so many families again this year, following on from its debut last year, that there are plans to expand in 2020 with even more schools opened up thanks to a pledge from Mr Luxmoore.

Cllr Barry Lewis said: “It will be expanding as we have got the promise from Paul Luxmoore of more schools in the Coastal Academies Trust which will open their doors.

“In a perfect world there would not be a need for the kitchen but we will be back next year even bigger if necessary. The Summer Kitchen is here to serve the community.”

Next year’s scheme has been dubbed Summer Kitchen: Unlock Our Schools and will aim to encourage and support community groups to use the facilities their school offers to run a summer kitchen themselves.