Cook 4 Communities

What is the name and the aim of your social action campaign?

We are Cook 4 Communities, aiming to educate people on why we should waste less, cook more and help nourish those who need it most.

We want to highlight the continued moral injustice associated with food waste, but in a positive way. Rather than berating people for wasting food, we want to demonstrate what a joy it is to cook sustainably, share skills, appreciate food more, and become more aware of where our food comes from – therefore wasting less in the process.

What has been your biggest success so far?

Our challenge! We launched a cooking challenge at the end of May (Cook 4 ingredients, Donate £4 and Nominate 4 people) which is raising money for our food bank partner Sufra. The challenge has also inspired people to cook something with what's in their house already, saving them from going to the supermarket and using up what they have. 

What has been your toughest moment?

Our toughest moment was when the reality of lockdown set in. We realised our original idea just wasn't feasible online. However, I think by adapting our priorities to suit how the UK public were feeling during lockdown (resourceful, cooking more, appreciating food because supermarket shelves were empty), our campaign seems to relate to people's situations in a way that it may not have so much in our original idea. Our activity online has also reached a wider group of people, which is amazing! Also, that challenge of reworking our entire idea brought us closer together as a team. 

What skills have you gained from working on your social action campaign?

Teamwork for sure, its challenges but also its rewards when you have an idea and create something that you could never have done on your own. Reaching out, and knowing that sometimes you'll be rejected but a lot of the time partners have been so generous with their time and support for our campaign. Also confidence not only in expressing ideas, but also voicing our disagreement and committing to it when you feel strongly enough. Finally, seeing your project through from ideation to reality.

Have you enjoyed the experience of working on a social action campaign?

Absolutely, it's been a massive learning experience in project management, remote cooperation, reaching out to strangers and supporting each other toward a common goal. From starting as relative strangers, we've all grown to know each other so well, had each others' backs and worked together on something that's given back to our community and I think we all can be really proud of.

 

You can follow Cook 4 Communities on Instagram at @cook4communities