Cooking and improving adult mental health in Oxfordshire
In March we had 5 people over from Root and Branch: Root and Branch are an independent charity which promotes recovery from mental health difficulties and a collaboration with Maymessy with Karen identifying 5 people who would benefit from a series of cooking classes.
The generous funding we have from OCF( Oxfordshire Community Foundation) is to reduce loneliness which meant we could whole heartedly support this group . The people who came on the cooking workshops feel marginalised especially after Covid and want to extend their friendship groups. Loneliness is something these people struggle with.
https://www.rootandbranch.info/
https://oxfordshire.org/about-us/
Cooking and collaborating with Root and Branch
Making bread, roti, Ukrainian borsch and sitting outside chatting and eating lunch and wishing one of the group a Happy 50th made for a lovely month.
We also introduced gardening with the very skilled volunteer Kate who showed 2 of the group how to plant seeds for our shared vegetable garden. Thank you Ellie and Sam for volunteering and your time to help with this.
“When I am here, I do not feel lonely but when I leave I feel more lonely. I do not want to go home because I know what loneliness feels like. Maymessy is one of my safe places” – C
“I’ve had a really good day today, my cheeks hurt where I have been smiling too much” – E
Mentoring ladies from Refugee Resource into a food related business
We held a labelling workshop for the ladies from Refugee Resource by Daisy Pratt at Very Vanilla. This was a practical hand on workshop with the ladies writing their own labels and taking about allergens and record keeping.
Thank you Daisy and the Peoples Health Trust for the grant this year to support these ladies.
https://www.facebook.com/veryvanillabakery
Supporting Ukraine families
Maymessy is going to provide a venue for tea/coffee and cake for Ukraine families to meet up for well needed support, signposting for advice and to make new friends. Please do get in touch if you are hosting families in South Oxfordshire.
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Bespoke cookery classes to support independent living
We have started up 2 Wantage cooking groups this month.
Maymessy is supporting ladies from Refugee Resource into a food related...
We are supporting 11 migrant women into a food related business over the next two years.
Thank you Faringdon Town Council
They have kindly agreed a grant so Maymessy can start workshops to support parents struggling financially due to the pandemic.