ALDI RUGELEY

Upper Moreton Rural Activities CIC provides a range of rural based courses and activities to promote learning and wellbeing. We support vulnerable adults recovering from mental ill health, young people and children with learning difficulties and disabilities, schools, colleges and community groups. Our rural day opportunities offer a wide range of activities, from working with farm animals and pets, gardening, handicrafts, woodwork and importantly individual health and wellbeing with healthy eating and cooking. Participants come from a wide range of circumstances, including individuals who have poor mental health, low self-esteem, individuals who have learning disabilities and/or learning difficulties. We provide support for individuals by introducing new skills, and experiences, promoting self-confidence and personal development. Courses and activities consist of many meaningful activities on the farm, with some being part of the normal ‘working’ routine and where possible we offer volunteering placements and work experience and advice with next steps. We strongly believe that good health comes from good nutrition therefore as part of a healthy lifestyle we encourage healthy eating and cooking / baking - inspiring all individuals to eat a wholesome meal – teaching all about good nutrition and how to cook on a minimum budget especially with the food crisis. Supporting individuals with all aspects of food preparation food safety, food hygiene and how to avoid food waste is most important, as many individuals have little knowledge in these subject areas. Upper Moreton’s staff are all fully trained in food safety, food preparation and all hold level II certificates in food safety in the workplace. One member of staff is a health professional who has specialist knowledge and experience in promoting health eating and healthy lifestyles. We teach individuals about food storage and what is meant by best before and sell by dates. We cook on a regular basis two / three days per week - because most of our people do not always have access to a regular healthy diet and must make economic choices between the types of food they eat and bills they need to pay. Most people do not know what a hot meal is or know how to cook one. Some lack motivation because especially if they live on their own - we therefore ensure that individuals do not go hungry and have provided some with food to take home. With the neighbourly food collection surplus we aim to use utilise all surplus food by incorporating these into our weekly cooking sessions and to give individuals who do not have enough to eat, regular intakes of food which will help to prevent lack of energy and poor nutrition associated conditions. We aim to give people food handouts if in need to take home. Some cooking activities will involve how to do batch cooking so no food is wasted and to be teach individuals to be more energy efficient.

We run our humble operation out of a kitchen in the centre of Stafford town. Each week our volunteers take turns to cook a hot, home-cooked meal for our guests, who are growing in their numbers every week. Fantastic homely meals aren’t the only thing on the HOB menu, friendship, support, advice and someone to listen are available to all our visitors, or as we like to call them our friends. Ask any of our visitors and they will tell you, it isn’t a house that makes a home; it’s the family inside it. House of Bread is like a real home; we eat together, laugh together, cry together, share success and support each other in times of crisis.

MLSS is a homeless charity called Midland Langar Seva Society. We provide food, support and relief to those on the poverty line, schools in deprived areas, safe houses, shelters and those living on the streets. MLSS operate on a Sikh based ethos, where we help and support all people regardless of social status. We cook and prepare hot meals 7 days a week in 26 towns across the UK. We also provide food goody bags to those that are vulnerable. - This Christmas get involved with our annual shoebox appeal - where MLSS provide the annual Christmas dinner at the Grand Central Station - Birmingham!