Kitchen Social links up with services to launch new project bringing generations together through food and talk

The Intergenerational Kitchen.

Kitchen Social is setting up a community programme to connect the older and younger generations in Thanet – The Intergenerational Kitchen.

The intergenerational sessions will be held on October 26 and 28 at venues in Cliftonville.

Kitchen Social is linking up with Age UK, parish and town councils, Kent County Council wardens and youth and family services in Thanet to create a unified message about covid recovery.

Each session will provide a safe space to talk about covid safety, managing fears and anxiety about the future, general health issues, local support groups and offer the chance to make new friends.

The generations will focus on a common connected topic, involve the participants in an activity, then end each session eating a home cooked meal together.

Kitchen Social founder Lucy Gray said: “The importance of this programme is to reconnect with our community after a harrowing 18 months to create a greater sense of fulfilment, building different socialisation and interpersonal skills and boosting independence and confidence.”

The mixing of generations and creation of new relationships aims to:

Provide an opportunity for both to learn new skills

Give the child and the older adult a sense of purpose

Help to alleviate fears children may have of the elderly

Help children to understand and later accept their own aging

Invigorate and energize older adults

Help reduce the likelihood of depression in the elderly

Reduce the isolation of older adults

Fill a void for children who do not have grandparents available to them

Help keep family stories and history alive

Aide in cognitive  stimulation as well as broaden social circles should a youth introduce technology into the life a senior.

If you would like to attend contact Lucy on 07894864610 or by email on [email protected]

Topics

Session 1: The Art to cooking deliciously healthy meals on a budget

Tuesday  26th October:  10am-2pm Rendezvous

This session is about boosting mental and physical health through eating well and connecting with your community

9.45am-10am Arrival and registration, tea/coffee served

10am-10.30am Opening talk on Covid safety and local services, Local services handout

Group Activities

10.30am-11am Food nutrition quiz

11am-12.30pm Cookery demonstrations to prepare various dishes

12.30pm-12.45pm Feedback on session

12.45pm-1.45pm Eat together

Session 2: Rationing during the war vs food shortages during Covid – What have we learnt?

Friday 28th October: 10am-2pm at Zion Place

This session is about finding the common connection of food shortages, between generations

9.45am-10am Arrival and registration, tea/coffee served

10am-10.15am Opening. Follow up discussion on rationing, food shortages and solutions. Follow up on local service provision with handout detailing suppliers

10.15am-11.4am Plate painting led by Espression Arts CIC

11.45am – 12.15pm Speaker Jim Williams, Channel Dash Association, with a talk about food rationing during the war vs food shortages during lockdown

12.15pm-12.30pm Open floor discussion: What have we all learnt from our history and recent past?

12.30pm – 12.45pm Handout – create and plan a meal on a budget programme

12.45pm-1.45pm Eat together