During the year, The Kitchen Crew Community Interest Company continued to provide practical cookery sessions that improve confidence, independence and wellbeing whilst reducing social isolation among adults with learning disabilities and other vulnerable members of the community. Our regular community cookery sessions remained well attended throughout the year and continued to provide participants with the opportunity to learn practical life skills in a supportive and inclusive environment. Every session encourages teamwork, communication, confidence and independent living skills, whilst promoting healthy eating and social interaction. Participants prepared an increasingly wide variety of meals and baked goods, developing both everyday cooking skills and more advanced techniques. Recipes completed during the year included: Chocolate logs Savoury Christmas pasties made with handmade flaky pastry, turkey, stuffing and cranberry filling Homemade cranberry sauce Christmas cake Gluten-free caramel shortbread Chocolate orange cake Chinese-inspired dishes Beef lasagne Handmade sausage rolls using homemade flaky pastry and homemade spicy tomato ketchup Chicken and vegetable curry Sausage casserole with sweet potato, lime and chilli mash Beef stew with mashed potato Simnel cake Thai green curry Bacon and cheese slices made entirely from scratch using homemade puff pastry Pasta Bolognese Chicken Jalfrezi with homemade naan breads Lemon meringue pie Cheese and onion pie Eccles cakes Chicken Tikka Madras with homemade naan bread Cornish pasties Preparing these recipes enabled participants to develop a wide range of practical skills including pastry making, bread making, cake decorating, budgeting, food hygiene, safe knife skills, meal planning and cooking nutritious meals from basic ingredients rather than relying on processed foods. A significant outcome of the year has been the continued success of our sustainable community cookery model, which uses both grant funding and participant fees to enable ongoing delivery of high-quality sessions. Grant funding secured during the year has also allowed the organisation to continue developing future projects and strengthen its long-term sustainability. Financially, the company received £3,350 in grant funding alongside £3,170 in earned income from participant fees, demonstrating progress towards a balanced and sustainable operating model. Beyond cooking, the sessions continue to create opportunities for friendship, confidence building and improved mental wellbeing. Participants increasingly support one another, celebrate each other's achievements and enjoy sharing meals together, helping to reduce loneliness and promote genuine community inclusion. The Kitchen Crew also supported the Walking for Autism fundraising campaign in March 2025, demonstrating our commitment to supporting the wider community beyond our own projects. This provided an opportunity to raise awareness of autism, encourage community participation and support an important charitable initiative. The company remains committed to expanding opportunities for adults with learning disabilities and other vulnerable people through accessible cookery education that develops life skills, confidence, independence and community connections.

We continue to consult with participants, families, carers, volunteers and partner organisations throughout the year. As many participants have learning disabilities, traditional written consultation is not always appropriate. Instead, we gather feedback through observation, conversations with participants, discussions with parents and carers, and feedback from partner organisations and support staff. Feedback throughout the year has consistently highlighted: increased confidence in preparing meals independently; improved practical cooking and food hygiene skills; greater willingness to try new foods; increased confidence working as part of a team; improved communication and social interaction; pride in producing restaurant-quality meals entirely from scratch; enjoyment of sharing meals together and building lasting friendships. The positive responses received through social media, carers and partner organisations demonstrate that the project continues to make a meaningful difference to participants' confidence, independence and wellbeing.

No remuneration was received

No transfer of assets other than for full consideration