City employment and life skills project boosted by generous food donation

A city project supporting young people with employment and life skills has been boosted by a generous food donation

Feed the Hungry is expanding the support it offers from The Halo Centre in Binley, Coventry, with cookery training for students.

The Christian humanitarian charity, which is committed to fighting hunger, is set to open a new kitchen at the centre, subject to building regulations being approved, to run the scheme in partnership with Coventry Foodbank.

And the project has now been given a significant boost after Coventry College donated around 900 kilograms of food, as well as a range of cookery equipment.

Gwyn Williams, national/ international operations director at Feed the Hungry, said: “We received lots of pots and pans, aprons, cookery equipment and things like flour, sugar and frozen food which we can use for our training programmes.

“The programme will be for students, including those doing work experience, and we also plan to hold events and cooking demonstrations for vulnerable people.

“It was an amazing result and we are very grateful for it.”

The Halo Centre – a 25,000 square foot warehouse which is also home to Coventry Foodbank – was opened in January by Feed the Hungry to provide a wide range of support.

As well as providing food bank support, the centre has been set up to offer advice on welfare, debt, health, welfare and it also provides help with employment opportunities.

“We are developing it into a training centre as well as an event space,” Gwyn added.

“The idea is that we will be able to hold events like food packing for schools which can come in and use the space.

“Hopefully we will be able to help people by providing a range of support and programmes from the centre.”

Mick Goodreid, head of estates and facilities at Coventry College, said the donation would help support “an excellent project”.

“The new facilities at The Halo Centre will help students learn new skills and could help lead to employment opportunities,” Mick said.

“It’s a fantastic project being run by Feed the Hungry and Coventry Foodbank, making a difference to many different groups across the city.

“Coventry College was very happy to be able to help with a donation and we hope that it helps the centre when the new kitchen is up and running.”

To find out more about Feed the Hungry and how to offer support, visit feedthehungry.org.uk.

Pictured from left is Mick Goodreid (head of estates, Coventry College) and Hugh McNeill (project manager, Feed The Hungry)