Good Food for All Kirklees ‘Cook’ Meeting Summary
Meeting Location: S2R Create Space, Huddersfield
Date: 22nd October 2025
Exploring ways to make cooking and healthy eating more accessible to everyone in the community.
We welcomed a fantastic group of community members and partners:
- Amena – Formerly with the Welcome Centre, now exploring opportunities with Street Kitchen.
- Helen– Community worker with United Respect Connect (two United Reformed Churches in Huddersfield). She is developing a new funded project and is looking for equipment and volunteers. Her church in Moldgreen has a kitchen, a small community garden, and a food share cupboard. She is also involved with Dalton Together.
- Griff – Founder of Shaping Care in Kirklees. Runs activities at Tolson, Greenhead Park, and Gledholt Methodist Church (which has a great kitchen). Offers walking groups, yoga, African Caribbean dance and drumming. Has 10 food hygiene-certified volunteers ready to run a kitchen.
- Caroline and Mya – Running pop-up cooking sessions in Dewsbury Arcade. Passionate about bringing families together through shared recipes and cultural exchange. They’re also supporting people with additional needs, especially men and boys learning to cook.
- Latisha – A volunteer at S2R who also runs courses.
- Beverley – Owns Juniper Foodwise, she runs community cooking courses in Kirklees
- Ama and Rachel – Good Food for All Kirklees
Key Topics Discussed
Community Cooking Projects
- Helen may collaborate with Julie (who has cooking skills to offer) and possibly link with Bread and Butter at Dalton Library.
- Griff’s team is well-equipped to run community kitchens
- Caroline is exploring supermarket partnerships for food donations and is interested in inclusive cooking sessions.
- Latisha recommended the Lipstick Project for course ideas.
- Crossland Moor Resource Centre offers training opportunities.
Funding & Support
- Cost remains a challenge. Concerns were raised about sustainability when funding ends and services must start charging for sessions.
- Ama suggested applying to One Community, S2R, and even a lottery fund to support Kirklees wide initiatives.
- Helen recommended partnering with churches or other organisations to help with initial funding paperwork requirements.
- TSL was mentioned as a helpful contact for navigating public liability and environmental health requirements.
Next Steps & Opportunities
What the Public Needs
- Sessions focused on nutrition, quick and budget-friendly meals, and family-friendly formats.
- More accessible venues across Kirklees—especially in areas currently underserved.
Potential Cooking Venues
- Meltham Moor Children’s Centre (next to the primary school)
- Slawit Library (with a full kitchen)
- Holmfirth Tech
- Milnsbridge Village Hall
- The Space @ Field Lane, Brighouse
- Mirfield Community Centre
- Batey Community Centre
- Thornhill Lees Community Centre
- Jason at S2R also has space for indoor/outdoor cooking (fees apply)
Mapping & Communication
- We’re identifying gaps in community cooking provision across Kirklees.
- A WhatsApp Community is being developed to help members stay connected and share opportunities.
Council & Community Links
- The Council is considering reopening former Sure Start Centres.
- Family Navigators could be key contacts for identifying cooking opportunities: Paul Jones – Dewsbury & Mirfield, Julie Turner – Huddersfield, Fiona Willats – Rural (job-sharing with Rachel), Recruitment underway for Batley & Spen
Actions
Continue mapping gaps in community cooking provision across Kirklees.
Continue to identify potential cooking venues
WhatsApp Community to be set up and shared to improve communication and opportunity sharing among members.
Connect with Family Navigators to identify local cooking opportunities.
Call out for community cooking professionals and start ups in the area.
Explore funding opportunities.
If you’re interested in getting involved, offering space, sharing skills, or supporting community cooking in Kirklees, we’d love to hear from you!
