Home-Cooked Meals for Young Carers is a Recipe for Success

Since starting in September 2020, local charity, Cook4Care, has cooked and delivered 1,680 fresh, healthy and nutritious meals to 16 families in Elmbridge referred to them by Action for Young Carers (Surrey), but there are many more families who would welcome their help.

Our recently awarded Community Grant of £4,000 will help Cook4Care reach more young carers and their families across Elmbridge.

Young carers spend significant time caring for a relative and the Coronavirus pandemic has significantly increased those pressures. The Children’s Society estimates there are approximately 800,000 young carers in the UK, with 140,000 in Surrey alone, many as young as 5 or 6 years old.

Cook4Care makes deliveries to each family twice a week and has saved young carers nearly 4000 hours of cooking and shopping since they started. The families they deliver to have 35 young carers and this service has given those young carers more time for their studies and allowed them time to enjoy quality time with their friends and family. One family fed back:

“Really, I want to say thank you and give each of you a big hug, as what you have done for our family is priceless. You have given us hope and motivation, just at a point where we were wondering what the future would hold.”

Cook4Care relies on volunteers to deliver their vital service and their planned expansion means they are looking for more people to get involved. If you would like to help with cooking, or delivering prepared meals to homes, email cook4care@gmail.com