Whichway Trust, in Sutton Community Centre, celebrates its four month anniversary by giving back this month.
On December 16 and 23 the community group is hosting a Sunday roast between one and three in the afternoon.
Sarah Whitehead,director of Community Pride, said: “It is so much more important this time of year, especially for some members of the group, who don’t really have any connections, haven’t got any family or are struggling.
“It definitely is important that they have somewhere to come, be with people and have a hot meal.
“The cooking is now a self reliant project that the group will carry on into the future.”
The event was organised as a way to give back to the community, as it has been set up as a ‘pay what you can’ system.
The Whichway Trust is a constituted community group that was set up by three men, who at the time, were living in a hostel.
It is supported by Community Pride and Cooperative Mutual Solutions, and funded by the Movember Foundation.
Through work that had been done with the Movember Foundation, Community Pride were looking for a group who were willing to explore their skills and start a small enterprise.
Sarah said: “Typically when you are homeless people do things for you, they cook food for you, they serve food to you, you have to eat it in a certain time frame.
“Everything is controlled as to when you are allowed to eat, and they really wanted to get into the kitchen and cook it themselves.”
It was set up to provide support for vulnerable people, who experience punitive poverty.
Sarah continued: ” This is people who were punished for being poor and are made to pay more for services, and for instance, if they found a job whilst living in the hostel they would be made to pay hundreds of pounds a week.
“Most people with a job can’t afford rent like that, so it is here to provide peer support for each other.”
They have a job club which helps the members, and other members of the Salford community gain the skills and qualifications they need to get themselves a job.
Companies around Salford have shown interest in the small enterprise that two of the members started, orginally called ‘Mushroom Mafia’.
The pair have shown passion in growing mushrooms at the community centre, restaurants and H.M.Pasties have shown interested in using them in their recipes.
She Continues: “It’s giving people confidence, self esteem and a reason to get out of bed.”
The group also sets up activities for the members such as bowling, go karting, mini golf and many more, Natalie Langford, member of the Wellbeing Hub, said: ” It takes you away from your everyday worries, and just being together.
“To get out of this environment and just be normal.”
The Monday Wellbeing Hub is open to new members or anybody who wants to drops in and have a pay what you can lunch or just to speak to other members of the community.
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