College and Hastings Voluntary Action join forces to empower local people to cook

They are designed to bring people together, build confidence, and support local residents with practical life and employability skills.

Two new programmes will launch this academic year, with three cookery workshops planned across June and July.

The courses are open to local adults of any age, including those who are not in education, employment or training (NEET), individuals in receipt of benefits, and anyone in work earning under £25,000 per year.

Cooking on a Budget, will take place on the first three Mondays of June at Central Hall from 10am-1pm. Participants will learn how to prepare affordable, nutritious meals while developing practical cooking skills, improving healthy eating habits, and supporting financial wellbeing. More will be held at Central Hall on Fridays 3rd, 10th, and 17th July from 10.30am-12.30pm.

A second course, Broomgrove Bake Off, will run at Broomgrove Community Centre on the first three Tuesdays of June from 9.30am-12.30pm. This course will get participants baking sweet and savoury pastries and cakes from scratch, while embedding literacy and numeracy skills through recipe reading, weighing, timing, and portioning activities.

Elaine Remon, Head of Adult and Future Skills at East Sussex College, said: “We are incredibly proud to be working alongside Hastings Voluntary Action to deliver training opportunities for our local communities. These courses are about much more than learning to cook or bake - they are about building confidence, improving wellbeing, developing essential skills, and helping people feel more connected within their community. Partnerships like this play a vital role in creating accessible opportunities for lifelong learning and progression.”

For more information about Hastings Voluntary Action’s community food project work and how you can book your place, visit www.hastingsvoluntaryaction.org.uk/