A community kitchen coming to Peckham needs your vote to help win brand new kitchen equipment for its homeless trainee caterers.
After a successful crowd-funder last year, Fat Macy’s is in the process of setting up a permanent community kitchen in Peckham, which will also double up as a location for its supper clubs.
Fat Macy’s was founded by Meg Doherty when she was working in the North London YMCA, and saw a need for youngsters in the hostel to find a way out of temporary accommodation and into a home of their own.
Her trainees volunteer their time to learn hospitality and catering, and work in real-life kitchens and restaurants in venues across London and their own pop-up restaurants.
What would be a wage is invested into building up a deposit for their own flat. After finishing 200 hours of work experience, trainees can then apply for a deposit to move from hostel to home.
This month, the foundation also announced it was in the running to win £5,000 worth of kitchen appliances as part of the latest Stoves Community Kitchens campaign, but they need public votes to help cinch the prize.
Ms Doherty said: “We’re looking to open our first community kitchen in Peckham for Fat Macy’s trainees and the rest of the community.
“There has been an incredible appetite for our work, both from the local community, the homeless community, and the public who attend our events.
“This prize would make all the difference in the world to our trainees – who are used to always using second best equipment and hand-me-downs from old kitchens.
“The sense of pride and value that we would gain by winning brand new kitchen equipment would make a huge difference to the general morale among our trainees.
“We believe that our new community space will not only provide a community kitchen in the heart of Peckham, but will allow us to support twenty young homeless Londoners every year move from homeless hostel accommodation to their own flats.”
The public vote is open until Monday, May 28, 2018. Cast your vote here.
