Argos Gainsborough

Eudaimonia is concerned with addressing the cycle of poverty, poor health and unemployment and to improve the conditions of life in socially and economically disadvantaged communities. We promote sustainable means of achieving community growth and regeneration working from the ground up, using simple, collaborative actions. Eudaimonia established The Super Kitchen project in the UK with the aim of bringing communities together by providing social eating spaces that serve freshly cooked, wholesome affordable food for everyone to enjoy, aiming at reducing social isolation and loneliness and improving peoples͛ health and wellbeing through healthy eating and social interaction and to reduce food waste. To date, over 50 Super Kitchen’s have been established across the East Midlands, Warwickshire and Birmingham. The number of new Super Kitchens continues to grow. The development of the Community Shop & Social Lounge model was developed from feedback received by service users of the Super Kitchen project. Two key identifiers were the need for improved access to affordable food and access to free community spaces where people could meet. These services help to develop community cohesion and resilience and improve the quality of the lives of its users through encouraging community engagement and participation in volunteering, training and employment opportunities. The shop provides a second route to market for large volumes of surplus food that might otherwise end up in landfill and is made available at substantially discounted prices. This is enhanced by developing relationship with other food business in the local area and food growers to ensure that all local food is put to best use. We provide food parcels including fresh food, household goods and pet foods and a follow up ‘pantry model’ keeps these goods affordable to those in need, especially those impacted by the benefits freeze, and implementation of universal credit which is felt throughout fragile communities. There are no charges for any foods donated via Neighbourly which are made available through our free food rack, community fridge and freezers or distributed to groups using our services. The social lounge acts as a vibrant community hub offering a free safe meeting place for anyone to use. The space is also made available free of charge for the community to organise and run groups, sessions or activities that help them to become the solution to identified needs or problems in their community.