Burnley FC in the Community is a charity working with the Premier League football club to improve the lives of the community across Burnley and East Lancashire. The charity works in five key areas; sports, health, education, social inclusion and community facilities.
The community cafe is located in one of the most deprived areas of England, less than 0.5 per cent on the Index of Multiple Deprivation.
Burnley Community Kitchen project
Burnley Community Kitchen project
Burnley Community Kitchen project
Burnley Community Kitchen project
Burnley Community Kitchen project
Burnley Community Kitchen project
| EB and Project Number | 115077/408 | LCF Funding | £30,000 |
| Project postcode | BB11 1AE | Total Funding | £50,400 |
| Object | D |
Project objectives
The project aimed to fulfil some key objectives, with the charity aiming to create a community cafe in the largest shopping precinct in the town. The cafe will be open to all and will feature a book exchange and children's messy play area.
Alongside the cafe there will be a teaching kitchen with six work stations. The charity will offer training in basic cooking skills, cooking on a budget, healthy cooking and healthy diet classes. These will be open to all members of the community, parents and school children.
The wider project also includes a foodbank, set up in a supermarket style to offer users the dignity of choice. The foodbank element of the project was separately funded as foodbanks are not eligible under the Landfill Communities Fund (LCF).
Project details and outcomes
LCF funding through Lancashire Environmental Fund Limited supported four separate elements of the project, including the electrical installation, toilet alteration, decoration and installing and fitting out the new community cafe and the training kitchen.
The project refurbished an unused retail facility in the town centre and create a new low cost venue for the community to enjoy a central meeting place. At the start of the project the location was unoccupied and in a state of disrepair. The improvements have brought the unit back into a useful function as well as having a positive effect on the shopping precinct and offering the local community a space which aims to deliver positive change for people in the town, using food as a catalyst.
Paul France, Deputy Chief Executive Officer for Burnley FC in the Community, said:
"The teaching kitchen space will be used by Burnley FC in the Community staff to offer cookery lessons and guidance on how to create healthy, balanced meals so that people in the town can start to live healthier lives. After 18 months of hard work, this is such a milestone event. With the help, support and generosity of the many partners involved in this project, it simply would not have happened. I extend my thanks to each and every one of them."
Ben Mee, Burnley FC defender, said:
"It's my first time visiting today. It's a fantastic facility delivered by the club, the community and all the partners. It's great to see everyone digging in and helping out people in need around this town."