Community kitchen hits milestone of 2,500 meals
ASHBOURNE’S community cafe Ossie’s Kitchen has now served more than 2,500 takeaway hot meals.
The volunteer-run initiative, which started out serving meals at its base in St Oswald’s Church Hall, started sending out weekly boxed takeaways in July to help people who were self-isolating throughout the pandemic, and it has been a huge success.
Organisers first envisaged the takeaway scheme as a three-month project, with schools re-opening, and school meals being available again from last September, but as the nation braced for another lockdown, it was continued.
By the start of this year Ossie’s Kitchen achieved the milestone of having provided 2,500 meals, and they are still going strong.
One of the organisers, Rev Nigel Rode said: “There is a certain sense of achievement in reaching that milestone but it is also a sad reflection of the need that has been caused by Covid-19. Even though vaccine programmes are being efficiently rolled out, we do not see the Covid-related need disappearing very fast.
“We are very grateful to Foundation Derbyshire for a grant that will assist us in sustaining the weekly takeaway hot meal initiative through until the summer.
“All our meals continue to be provided without charge we do suggest, and welcome, donations but only if, and when, financial situations allow. All funding organisations with whom we speak are emphasising that financial resources are now very limited so if projects like Ossie’s Kitchen are to be sustainable, they need to encourage donations.”
Ossie’s Kitchen has recently changed its arrangements for ordering meals. To find out more and to request meals, call the team on 07437 377345.