Cooking up a Sunday treat at Roundabout’s Sherwood House

It’s a great British tradition…and one that’s being passed on to a new generation thanks to some special charity funding.

The £1,000 Social Bite grant aid is helping to deliver a programme of community cooking sessions for young people at Sherwood House, the Rotherham group living facility operated by South Yorkshire youth homelessness charity, Roundabout.

Sherwood House offers one emergency bed, four longer-term rooms and two bedsits, providing different levels of support to meet individual needs.

Residents benefit from 24-hour staffing, shared cooking sessions and day trips, while the bedsits help young people build the skills needed for their next steps, maintaining their own tenancy in social housing or the private sector.

It’s part of a service specially tailored to the needs of vulnerable young people in Rotherham, with each young person matched with a dedicated key worker who stays with them throughout their Roundabout journey.

And the funding from Social Bite - the charity that was launched in Edinburgh in 2012 with a mission to end homelessness - gave Sherwood House residents the chance to cook a full Sunday dinner, with staff members providing tips and tricks for a perfect roast, while one of the of the young people also made a desert.

“This activity helped bring the young people together, tackling isolation whilst building life skills for the future,” said Roundabout Fundraising Manager Emily Jones.

“After eating and washing up, the young people also took part in playing charades which was a great way to end a lovely evening.”

Other cooking sessions have seen the young people take on the challenge of preparing Hunters’ Chicken, wedges and roasted corn on the cob, with the special funding also covering the cost of a pizza and games night.

“This is why the donations and support we receive are so vital because it gives us the opportunity to run events like this,” said Emily.

“These activities help the young people tackle isolation, feel a part of a community and get a sense of normality.”