PICTURES: ‘Cannae Cook, Want Tae Cook’ meal event at PPP in Wick
The Pulteney Centre in Wick witnessed a happy occasion on Friday as three Pulteneytown People’s Project (PPP) volunteers gained their cookery credentials.
Keith Budge, Mary Banks, and Kathleen Bruce gained certificates for basic cookery training and Selina Jackson, Norma Craven, and Donna Hopkins also received accolades for their skills in training the three.
Donna Hopkins, one of the trainers, said: “The students were learning to cook and budget. This is our Food Safety Level Two and Three and an ‘Introduction to Allergens’ which we had to learn before we could proceed to train anyone. We got our cookery training certificates today because we’ve now finished.”
Norma Craven, another trainer, added: “After we were taught how to train, we began the course with our three students to teach them basic cooking skills. We were trained for about eight weeks and the students were also trained for around eight weeks. Now we’re having a meal to celebrate along with the families.”
She said that Bryan Dods, a project officer with Caithness Voluntary Group (CVG), taught her, along with Selina and Donna, all the skills required to be capable trainers.
Bryan said: “The idea for helping people learn how to cook nutritious meals for their families, came about after discussions at the Caithness Poverty Action Group, looking at how surplus food supplies get out to people in need through the foodbanks, sharing sheds and other routes. It was pointed out that there was plenty of cheap and free food to be had, but many people simply did not know how to cook it.”
The programme was called ‘Cannae Cook, Want Tae Cook’ and ran over three months. It involved CVG providing training for the three volunteers; Highland Council providing kitchen equipment through its Community Challenge fund; and PPP providing the training kitchen and the ingredients used.
“The three volunteer trainers gained a certificate in training practice as well as Food Safety Levels Two and Three and allergens training; while the three trainees all learned how to prepare soups, meat dishes – mince and tatties, lasagne – along with vegetable and chicken curries and desserts for their families, with additional training in food safety; allergens; kitchen discipline and safety; food selection; storage and preparation; and home budgeting.”
The final assessment for the programme involved all the trainers and trainees planning, preparing and serving a three-course meal to families, friends and supporters on Friday (June 14). Representatives of UHI, Highland Council Employment Services and Highlife Highland Adult Education enjoyed the food while discussing possible next steps for all those involved.
PPP development officer Jennifer Harvey supervised the whole process and said she was “very proud” of all the volunteers. “They came in with very little confidence but that has grown in strength the whole time they’ve been here,” she said.
“It’s a great thing for folk to come in and volunteer but to then give their time to others, to benefit others, is just a wonderful thing. They’re all very clever to start with and just needed the chance to shine.”
More information on PPP and the various services it provides can be found at: pppwick.org.uk/
There is also a Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/pppwick
Pulteneytown People’s Project was set up as a community-led charity and social enterprise in 2003. It is run as a business but all profits go back into the community and the facility. The centre's key aims are to "provide services and amenities that will improve the area".