A fundraiser in aid of the Summer Kitchen scheme, which fed families for free during the school holidays, has raised some £1,228.
The kitchen, headed up by Ramsgate entrepreneur Sharon Goodyer, ran at Drapers Mills school, and St Christopher’s Church in Newington and provided free meals, both eat in and takeaway, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Thought to be the first of its kind in the UK, it was run by Our Kitchen on the Isle of Thanet with Drapers Mills school, Get Out Get Active (GOGA) Thanet, Fareshare, Asda, Windmill Allotments, Geoff Philpott’s farm, Your Leisure and county councillors Barry Lewis and Karen Constantine.
The sausage and mash night was supported by Gadds brewery, which donated beer, and a plethora of local people and businesses who gave an amazing range of raffle prizes, including a bottle of red wine donated and signed by Emily Thornberry MP.
The raffle and food night was attended by 60 hungry people.
Cllr Constantine, who cooked and served the fundraising meal said: “The Summer Kitchen was a huge hit. It was also great fun. Community projects like this are so important, we need to ensure people get high quality, nutritious food.
“Cuts to benefits and soaring rent costs are plunging far too many of Thanet’s families into deepening poverty. They are suffering. It’s difficult to raise money. This was one way of helping Our Kitchen on the Isle of Thanet project to keep going”.
Sharon Goodyer (pictured above), who has worked for three years to set up the project and to get the Summer Kitchen going, joined the diners to thank them for their generosity and to share some of her professional catering ‘inside’ tips.
Sharon is constantly working to look for any opportunity to secure funding.