As well as delivering our Training Kitchen in-house in Preston, we take tailored courses to public sector partners in the community.

Working with prisons, NHS teams and local councils, we deliver sessions equipping people with a range of skills around cooking, budgeting, understanding nutrition, and managing health conditions.

At HMP Styal, working with the prison’s Education, Skills & Work team, we deliver cookery classes for women on the Mother & Baby and Young Adult units.

“The classes have been really beneficial,” says Nicola Thomas, Head of Education, Skills and Work at the women’s prison. “They’ve allowed our prisoners to develop a greater understanding of food, nutrition and cooking, as well as work together on a joint project and feel part of a group.”

“Soft skills have often been absent from people’s lives until they come into custody. And formal learning or classrooms environments can be daunting or trauma inducing for some. So, to have an interactive session where the softer skills are embedded is invaluable.

“Recycling Lives’ trainer Linda [pictured above] was passionate and enthusiastic and able to adapt to different prisoners’ needs and capabilities.

“The Charity’s team worked closely with us from designing and planning the sessions, through to delivery, including having the prisoners involved in planning, making them feel part of the process and more engaged.

“Their team were friendly, supportive and understanding throughout.”