Kinship Kitchen:
Building Stronger Families and Communities
Kinship Kitchen is a Community Interest Company dedicated to supporting kinship families in South London and other groups within the community. Through initiatives such as community cooking groups, cooking clubs, and food surplus donations, we aim to address food poverty, combat social isolation, and promote meaningful community connections.
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Our work also fosters children’s self-esteem, encourages peer support, and strengthens local ties by collaborating with grassroots projects like Feed The Hill and Restorative Justice for All, as well as partnering with local schools and community centres. Together, we strive to create a more inclusive, supportive, and resilient community.​
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How we started:
Kinship Kitchen started in 2020 to connect socially isolated kinship carers with their peers to foster a sense of community. Our goals were to support children’s growth mindset through engaging activities, strengthening family bonds through positive shared experiences and promoting health and independence through culturally relevant, nutritious cooking.​
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What we do:
Since 2020, we have been running weekly trauma informed, social cooking groups for kinship carers and children and young people growing up in kinship and foster care. We provide a safe space for connection, learning, and growth through offering activities that improve mental health, promote secure attachments, and reduce placement breakdown risks. We also run our independent catering company, ensuring we are not fully dependent on grants and local authority funding, while also providing training and flexible employment opportunities to kinship carers and young people. Since 2024, we have expanded our remit to work with other groups in the community affected by social isolation and/or food poverty through regular cooking sessions and food donations.
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Our Impact:
- Reduce isolation leading to better mental health for carers
- Boost confidence and growth mindset for care experienced children and young people
- Increased independence skills for care experienced young people (14+)
- Healthier eating habits and reduced reliance on food donations
- High-quality catering services for clients such as NHS, Google, Local Authorities and national charities.
- Flexible training and employment opportunities for kinship carers and young people, offering them pathways to economic independence and skillbuilding.
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Why our model works:
We offer a culturally inclusive group, which has been made accessible to diverse communities and age groups, and has been able to be flexible and responsive to social and economic changes, notably during the Covid pandemic. We are proud members of the Therapeutic Kitchen Collective (TKC)- @therapeutickitchencollective.
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What Kinship Carers have to say:
