Flatpacks and Flapjacks: Youth Group Learn New Kitchen Skills Thanks to Our Small Grant

Over 60 young people in Fakenham have been involved in designing and building – and are now enjoying – a brand new kitchen at their youth group in Fakenham, after receiving funding from Momentum.

EP Youth was given a grant of £500 by Momentum to help pay for and equip a kitchen after young people identified they were keen to learn cookery skills. EP Youth raised a further £300 through selling books at their local Tesco and with their collective budget of £800 and support from EP youth workers, the young people designed a small and functional kitchen and sourced kitchen units from IKEA so they could learn how to put together flat-pack furniture.

The kitchen has made a huge difference explains Niki Tillson from EP Youth. ‘Creating the kitchen has given our young people new problem-solving and team-building skills, as well as hands-on experience of practical carpentry and flat pack assembly. They have a new pride in their surroundings and an awareness of health and safety and food hygiene. The kitchen has been used to cook all sorts of meals, from pancakes and flapjack to curries and chili dogs. Last December, a group of young people planned, prepared, and cooked a Christmas meal for their peers, which taught them valuable skills like budgeting and teamwork, and contributed to a great Christmas party!’

Momentum members with an annual income under £250k can apply for two small grants a year of up to £500 each, which can be used to support their work with young people. These grants can be used to pay for trips for young people, new equipment, staff training, or additional resources.