The Arsenal Foundation has helped fund the Community Brigade, a six-month training and work experience programme run by social enterprise Cook for Good open to people on or near the Priory Green Estate. Ijeoma Anyanwu tells us how she got involved and the difference it’s making to her future.
“I’m 34 and I live near the Priory Green Estate, which is tucked behind Kings Cross station, with my husband and two young children. I’ve always loved to cook, and the kitchen has always been my comfort zone, a place where I can find peace.
“After I had my first child I worked in Primark, sometimes working nights so I could be home in the day with my baby. But it was hard, and after I had my second child I felt I needed to find a new path. I spoke to my husband, and he gave the me best piece of advice I could have hoped for: “Think about what you love to do, and make that your job.
“I took his advice and started exploring how I could get into catering. I looked online to find training courses, but they were so expensive and I knew we couldn’t afford them, especially as I wasn’t earning. Then, suddenly, it was as if heaven answered my prayers, as a colleague at Islington Parent House, where I had been volunteering as a parent champion, told me about the Cook for Good Community Brigade, and suggested I contact Martha, the organisation’s community manager.
“I was so excited I called Martha straight away, and she invited me in for an interview. I had to take my baby with me, but Martha was so welcoming and made us both feel comfortable. And as she explained about the programme, I couldn’t believe my luck. It was completely free, because Cook for Good were being funded by The Arsenal Foundation (and other organisations) though Islington Giving, and it would fit around my family, too.
“The Community Brigade is a six-month programme that gives people like me training and work experience to help us find jobs in catering and hospitality. Some of the lessons were practical, including a Knife Skills class, a lesson on how to cut, cook and store different kinds of meat, and another on how to debone and cook a fish without it breaking up. Others were more theory-based as we worked towards a Foundation Level Certificate in Food Safety.
“I’d never been in a professional kitchen before, and it was an amazing experience. I’ve picked up so many great new skills, and learned how to balance favours and work with different ingredients to make totally delicious food. And the work experience we got along the way – such as going into the Spotify HQ kitchen to prep all their veg for the week ahead, or making and serving soup lunches at big companies – was such a confidence booster.
“On top of all this, the Brigade has become like a family – we’re 12 women who have come together to learn, and now we’re supporting each other to fulfil our dreams. I’ve already started getting paid work, first as a kitchen porter and then as front of house, and I’m now learning to become an assistant chef. And I’m planning my next steps too: I want to work with schools to get more recipes from different cultures (like my favourite Jollof rice) on lunchtime menus. Watch this space!”
Ijeoma’s story is also featured in _Soup For Good_, a book of recipes and stories which is raising funds to support Cook for Good’s community programme. You can find out more and order a copy [here](https://www.cookforgood.uk/book). For more information on Cook for Good click [here](https://www.cookforgood.uk/).
Community Stories Cook for Good
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