Co-operative Bank funds are kickstarting a community cooking project for Barnet Collective

People working in a small kitchen, cooking — The Barnet Collective at work

Barnet Collective, a local social enterprise which makes weekly deliveries of fresh produce to local people in need, has received much needed cash from the Co-operative Bank Customer Donation Fund.

Barnet Collective began operating in 2020, delivering food to three families, but as demand for their services has grown amid the cost-of-living crisis, they now make deliveries to around 60 households weekly, providing them with a vital safety net. The collective does not see itself as a foodbank but rather a top-up service and a way for the local community to come together to tackle food poverty in a practical way.

The collective partners with schools, churches and social workers to identify households that they can support and works closely with local food charities such as The Felix Project who are a key supplier, as well as other community groups.

Joe Tweg, chair of trustees at Barnet Collective said: “The money we have received from The Co-operative Bank Customer Donation Fund has been crucial. The donation has been used to purchase cooking equipment such as hobs and utensils and introduce health and safety measures, which has enabled us to kick-start a community cooking project.

“Having money available to carry out this project has meant we have the capacity to create more relationships with local groups and leaves us better placed to support the community.”

They applied for £1000 and received the full amount.

The Customer Donation Fund is open to organisations that are Co-operative Bank customers and hold a Community Directplus account. This account is specifically for registered charities, community interest companies, benefit societies, co-operatives and credit unions and offers them access to ethical and free everyday banking.

Since the Customer Donation Fund was set up back in 2003, the bank has donated over £1.1 million to more than 1,000 community projects, with £100,000 donated this year alone to support communities through the cost of living crisis.

245 charities applied for grants in 2023.

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