The One Council Partnership Fund is helping to make a positive difference to the lives of people in local communities.
Councillor Jim Goodfellow, Cabinet Spokesperson for Community Wellbeing, recently visited Our Community Kitchen, an intergenerational project in Haddington which aims to reduce social isolation and help people to enjoy a freshly cooked lunch.
The project is one of 53 initiatives in East Lothian to have received financial backing from the One Council Partnership Fund in 2019/20.
The fund supports local organisations in maintaining partnership working with East Lothian Council and supports volunteering, helping to build resilience and capacity while reducing inequalities across local communities.
Councillor Goodfellow’s visit to Our Community Kitchen, which meets in Haddington Bowling Club, came ahead of the opening of applications for support from the fund in 2020/21.
Speaking after the visit he said:
“Community organisations and projects such as Our Community Kitchen in Haddington have a hugely positive impact on local communities while addressing issues of inequality.
“As we look forward to inviting applications for next year’s One Council Partnership Fund, I was pleased to have the opportunity to see for myself how it is helping to make a difference and to thank some of the volunteers who make these initiatives such a success."
Elaine Gale, who leads the Our Community Kitchen team, said:
"When Our Community Kitchen was initially set up it ran on Tuesdays, with support from Haddington & Lammermuir Area Partnership. The One Council Partnership Funding has helped us to increase the number of days we can provide meals for more people in the Haddington area. Demand has grown as the word has spread locally and we have also recently secured Lottery funding, which means we can continue to help to reduce loneliness and social isolation and also address issues associated with food poverty, providing a freshly cooked meal to those who attend.”
Find out more about funding support.