As part of its continuing commitment to deliver societal benefit in relation to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, GL events UK were thrilled to attend a training session and presentation ceremony at ChangeKitchen to see their social value programme in action!
Having established a partnership with ChangeKitchen in 2021, GL events UK has long-admired the incredible social enterprise projects they run, which are very much aligned with the social value objectives of the Games.
As a result, GL events UK is delighted to be supporting ChangeKitchen with funding of apprenticeship schemes, training programmes and equipment, which is essential in ensuring that this lifeline organisation can continue delivering its impactful initiatives.
One such enterprise is the ‘5 a Day on a budget’ training course, which is aimed at individuals from a variety of backgrounds, including some with additional needs, who have a limited understanding of healthy eating and cooking. This educational course teaches participants kitchen and dietary basics, leaving those who graduate with a fundamental understanding of how to eat well with limited ingredients and scarcity of resources.
This 3-day course culminated in an awards presentation, that saw members of GL events UK’s Commonwealth Games Project Team present commemorative certificates and kitchen gifts to attendees, enabling them to take pride in their achievement and put their newfound culinary knowledge into practice.
Project Director, Tom Alldread remarked, “Being at ChangeKitchen today has been a real eye-opener. It has served as a reminder of why GL events is so passionate about delivering social value to improve the lives of people in vulnerable communities across Birmingham and the West Midlands. It’s amazing to see how Birgit Kehrer and her team are directly transforming the futures of those who need it most. And I’ll definitely be coming back – the food the students laid on for us was delicious!”
Birgit Kehrer is the founder and owner of ChangeKitchen and has long-been passionate about nurturing confidence, particularly in young people who haven’t necessarily been given the best start in life. “Our social enterprise programmes make such a huge difference to the individuals that attend. By bestowing basic life skills on our beneficiaries, like demystifying ingredients and how to cook, we are able to provide a positive platform from which they can build successful lives. As they journey through the pathways we’ve established, our hope is for these people to eventually realise their full potential.”
Stay tuned for more developments on this exciting partnership. In the meantime, why not learn more about the inspiring work of ChangeKitchen, and the profound impact that their social enterprise programmes are having, by checking out their website.
