COOK! With the Vegetarian Society at Northmoor – Powered by FareShare

At Northmoor Community Centre in Longsight, the Vegetarian Society recently delivered a six-session community cooking programme designed to build confidence, skills and connection through food and cooking. Funded by Manchester Public Health and working with local residents facing food insecurity and health inequalities, the sessions focused on cooking affordable, healthy meals from scratch, improving nutrition, and reducing food waste.

Each week, participants cooked together, learned practical skills like meal planning and budgeting. They also took home ingredient bags to recreate dishes for their families. The programme culminated in a shared meal where participants cooked for friends and community members, celebrating everything they had learned.

The impact has been powerful: participants reported increased confidence in the kitchen, healthier eating habits, and stronger social connections. For many, cooking shifted from something stressful to something enjoyable and empowering.

The Vegetarian Society says this work would not have been possible on their limited budget without the support of food from FareShare Greater Manchester. By providing surplus food, we helped the society stretch their resources further and maximise the number of people they could support. Additionally, this reinforced the programme’s message around reducing food waste and making the most of available ingredients.

It’s been great to see the impact of this partnership turning surplus food into lasting skills, confidence and community.

The Vegetarian Society is one of our Community Food Members. If you would like to find out more about our Community Food Membership please check out this page on our website.