With a busy calendar of events and activities throughout the year, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved whatever your interests. We work within 5 key teams (People’s Cafe, Lunch Bunch, Collectors and Distributors, Food Larder and General Support) and have support and lead roles available within each. It is possible to express your interest in one particular team or to volunteer across them all. Here is a selection of the opportunities available:
Prep sessions – come along and help us create tasty dishes to share with the community.
The People Café and Lunch Bunch events – From washing up to lead cook, setting up to serving, helping at our events is a great way to see what we do and be a part of the lovely atmosphere.
Food Larder – Helping set up and run our weekly community food larder is an incredible source of support to our operation.
Food Collections – We receive regular and ad-hoc collections from local donors and are always looking for more helpers to pick-up from retailers around the town.
Storage Support – From receiving donations, to arranging storage and re-distribution, we are always welcoming of an extra pair of hands.
Ready Steady Bake – We have a happy team of bakers that always rise to the challenge, creating tasty treats.
Shout about us – We have a team of people who help us spread the word with activities from social media and local press communication, to poster printing and circulation.
Day to day support – We have plenty of opportunities to get involved behind the scenes too. From administration and IT support, to composting and cleaning, there really is a role for everyone
I’ve been volunteering with Kendal People’s Cafe for the past three years or so. I was attracted by the ethos, turning food waste into healthy nourishing foods, and motivated by the wish to give something back to this lovely town that has been my home for only a few years. I love the buzz of the cafes, meeting a whole range of people and personalities, and have enjoyed the pop up events we’ve run, making pizzas in Sandylands and burritos on Stricklandgate and taking our message of waste into wellbeing out to the wider public.
Kate
I had been looking for a practical way of taking positive action to protect our environment beyond my own lifestyle choices and a project which benefited the local community -‘Waste into Wellbeing’ ticked both of these boxes. The range of volunteering activities on offer made getting started very accessible and the warm welcome I received during my first shifts meant I quickly felt part of a team. I’ve enjoyed meeting lots of like-minded volunteers – as someone relatively new to the area, it’s helped me feel part of a community.
Part of South Lakes Action on Climate Change, Waste into Wellbeing is a volunteer led, social project at the heart of Kendal’s Food Community. Food from local supermarkets, shops and bakeries destined for landfill is turned into nourishing meals, provided on a pay what you can basis, or is shared with residents who need it most.
What is the Community Food Larder?
Surplus food collected from various food retailers is sorted, checked and then shared with the community at our ‘open to all’ food larder open 3 days per week. Attendees can browse from what we have on offer and take what they need. We request a minimum £1 donation per bag of food collected which support our Fareshare membership.
What is the People’s Café?
Kendal People’s Café is a pay-as-you-can cafe running each Saturday at South Lakes Foyer. It serves delicious meals, refreshments and sweet treats and is a lively and welcoming place to visit.
What is Lunch Bunch?
Lunch Bunch is a monthly event run by Kendal People’s Cafe in conjunction with the NHS. It provides some of our older residents, many of whom suffer from social isolation, with meals and an opportunity to socialise.
What other activities does Waste into Wellbeing organise?
Kendal People’s Café has a presence at a number of events throughout the year, in particularly it supplies food to the monthly repair café and has offered refreshments at Wave Forward’s Mental Health Mile, Kendal Torchlight Carnival and Kendal Unity Festival.
What volunteer opportunities are there?
With a busy calendar of events and activities throughout the year, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved whatever your interests. Here is just a selection of the opportunities available:
– Prep sessions – come along and help us create tasty dishes to share with the community.
– The People Café and Lunch Bunch events – From washing up to lead cook, setting up to serving, helping at our events is a great way to see what we do and be a part of the lovely atmosphere.
– Food Larder – Helping set up and run our weekly community food larder is an incredible source of support to our operation.
– Food Collections – We receive regular and ad-hoc collections from local donors and are always looking for more helpers to pick-up from retailers around the town.
– Storage Support – From receiving donations, to arranging storage and re-distribution, we are always welcoming of an extra pair of hands.
– Ready Steady Bake – We have a happy team of bakers that always rise to the challenge, creating tasty treats.
– Shout about us – We have a team of people who help us spread the word with activities from social media and local press communication, to poster printing and circulation.
– Day to day support – We have plenty of opportunities to get involved behind the scenes too. From administration and IT support, to composting and cleaning, there really is a role for everyone
Do I need to commit to regular support?
Not at all! Some of our volunteers offer regular support, other help out on an ad-hoc basis when they can. Some prefer to stick to one specific role, others like to dip in and out of all aspects of the various projects. What you do and how much you sign up for is up to you!
How do I get started?
1. We promote our volunteer opportunities via our Better Impact App. Sign up to the volunteer app by completing our online form here.
2. We’ll get in touch to run through some basics and team you up with other volunteers to show you the ropes.
3. Take a look at the app to see all our upcoming volunteer opportunities and sign yourself up to whatever you fancy.
4. We’ll introduce you to the lead on your first session who will tell you everything you need to know.
And that’s it! After that, you can enjoy being part of a friendly and dedicated team of volunteers. We’re sure you’ll make some great friends along the way.
What do I do if I have more questions?
To find out more about our volunteer opportunities, or to ask any specific questions you may have, get in touch with Chris Rowley at slaclimatechange@googlemail.com
