The power of your community isn’t only in what it can do for its members, but also in what it can do for neighbours and for the local population in general. No doubt outreach, support, and charity are all part of your purpose and drive.

Here are our tips for maximising the potential to reach out and serve the wider community, and the impact that your church kitchen can have.

Coffee Mornings

A regular fixture in the diary can be a real blessing to those who don’t have the opportunity or the ability to maintain an active social life. Those who are elderly tend to be at particular risk of loneliness, but it can also be true of people on parental leave, who are experiencing a lack of adult interaction. A weekly or perhaps fortnightly coffee morning can offer valuable contact and fellowship.

As such, these events can be very popular, and can place a heavy demand on the kitchen, especially if you serve cake and add baking to the to-do list. That means you will need a semi-commercial kitchen which is durable and hygienic by design. A mild steel carcass and polyester powder-coated stainless-steel worktop will give you a kitchen that lasts, and a warm and welcoming choice of colours will keep the kitchen area looking friendly and accessible.

Support groups

Just as isolated or lonely people can find huge comfort and joy in meeting others, so can those facing difficult personal circumstances. Many are facing bereavement, addiction, unemployment, and mental health difficulties more or less on their own, and seldom is there enough capacity in local services to provide all the help required.

Here is where a community centre can play one if its most traditional and vital roles within the community, and offer somewhere where people can feel heard and cared-for. Whether you are running your own groups or renting space to external networks, your kitchen will need equipment that can help provide the right environment. For example, an instant hot water boiler will provide teas and coffees for groups where a kettle would be slow and inefficient.

Steelplan Kitchens’ designers are experts in advising communities on the equipment that their kitchen will need, and the design solutions to accommodate them. Speak to one of our team if you would like to explore the options.

Providing affordable meals

Food and fellowship are among the most tried and tested ways to draw people to your community and help those who need support.

Free, inexpensive, or donation-based (pay-what-you-can) lunches are superb ways to serve the neighbourhood and even grow your community. In difficult economic times, those who are struggling can find a lot of hope in a welcoming environment where they can enjoy an affordable meal. Also, because these events can draw in a cross-section of society (students, retirees, young professionals), there is added dignity in being part of a broader community, not simply receiving charity.

The volume of use that the kitchen will see requires a design that:

• will not deteriorate
• accommodates teams of users
• will remain hygienic and easy to clean

To maximise the potential of your kitchen and its impact on the community, contact Steelplan Kitchens today. Our design experts can advise on the design, equipment, and materials that you will need to create the kitchen that you want. Call us on 0844 809 9186 or email [email protected] to tell us about your project.