Burnley Community Kitchen kicks off with help from Clarets and Jamie Oliver

A unique foodbank and educational kitchen has kicked off in Burnley thanks to teamwork from Burnley FC In the Community and its partners.
Mayor of Burnley Coun. Charlie Briggs officially opens Burnley Community KitchenMayor of Burnley Coun. Charlie Briggs officially opens Burnley Community Kitchen
Mayor of Burnley Coun. Charlie Briggs officially opens Burnley Community Kitchen

Burnley Community Kitchen, including a foodbank, café, teaching kitchen and a meeting space, is now open in the town centre's Charter Walk Shopping Centre.

Clarets stars Jack Cork and Ben Mee attended the launch, which also saw a video message from celebrity chef and healthy food champion Jamie Oliver.

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The foodbank element of the facility, set up in a supermarket-style layout, will offer a dignity of choice to users and will be closely linked to an in-house teaching kitchen where Burnley FC in the Community staff will offer cookery lessons to foodbank users, with the aim to develop their home-cooking confidence and skills using foods they can access from the foodbank itself.

Mayor of Burnley Coun. Charlie Briggs officially opens Burnley Community KitchenMayor of Burnley Coun. Charlie Briggs officially opens Burnley Community Kitchen
Mayor of Burnley Coun. Charlie Briggs officially opens Burnley Community Kitchen

Paul France, deputy chief executive for Burnley FC in the Community, thanked all the local and national companies that had contributed to making the community kitchen happen,

He said: "Over the last 18 months everybody in Burnley and beyond has pulled together to make this community kitchen a reality. There are shocking statistics around child poverty and obesity in Burnley which are closely linked.

"We decided to use our influence as a football club to create an environment where we can make a difference by educating on diet and nutrition, and offering healthy fresh fruit and vegetables."

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In his video message, Jamie Oliver said: "This is incredible. What a set-up you've got there. A massive shout-out to all the volunteers. We need this to happen all around the country. Healthy food that will help people and their families to thrive."

The Mayor of Burnley, Coun. Charlie Briggs, who is supporting BFC in the Community as one of his charities this year, cut the ribbon to officially open the Community Kitchen.