Blow for Jamie’s place
Geelong’s Ministry of Food misses out on City Hall grant
JAMIE’S Ministry of Food has denied that its future in Geelong is under threat, after missing out on a muchneeded cash injection.
As it shuts other facilities, the not-for-profit organisation sought a $150,000 grant from the City of Greater Geelong to enable its ongoing program.
However, the council said it did not have the funds available and could not commit to the centre because it was yet to fully establish its own public-health priorities.
The knock-back comes at a delicate period for Jamie’s Ministry of Food, which this week revealed it was shutting its only other major centre — in Ipswich, Queensland — in September.
It follows other closures over the past year in Sydney and Adelaide. The loss of the Queensland location would leave Geelong as the only permanent Ministry of Food facility in the country.
Efforts would instead be put into educating people through mobile kitchens and outreach programs.
CEO Amy Smith told the Geelong Advertiser that the organisation would be seeking additional community partners to support its centre in Geelong.
However, she said participants at the Moorabool St facility would not notice any differences.
“For the Geelong kitchen, it’s business as usual,” Ms Smith said.
“We continue to roll out our seven-week program and are currently running new workshops.”
The centre, which teaches affordable cooking classes based on celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s tips and recipes, has been operating in Geelong since late 2012.
The council had previously provided the centre $20,000 per year, primarily to cover rent.
But when State Government funding for the Healthy Together initiative ran out, the council stopped providing financial support.