Icing on cake as Scarborough marks five years of Victory Programme

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A Salvation Army course that teaches people how to cook on a budget and helps them make new friends is celebrating its fifth birthday.

Around 180 people have completed Scarborough Salvation Army's Victory Programme, a six-week cookery course which, inspired by the resourcefulness shown during the Second World War, demonstrates how to cook meals for less than £1 a portion.

It has not only helped people improve their skills and save money, but for many who were struggling with isolation, loneliness or poor mental health, it has proved transformative.

Former participants, many who have stayed connected to The Salvation Army after completing the cookery course and follow on six-week bakery course, celebrated the anniversary at a coffee morning earlier this month.

Victory Programme Co-ordinator Lindsey Barker said: "It feels amazing to celebrate five years. When I think back to when we set this up, we said we'd do it for 12 months and see how it goes, but here we are five years later.

"The cooking is almost a by-product, it's the encouraging people to come out of the house every week and meet new people that proves transformative. To see a group of six people who are complete strangers in week one become firm friends by week six is lovely.

"A large part of it is also the fact that when they come into this building they feel safe, they are welcomed and they are not judged.

"Once people have completed the course, many will come back to volunteer or will join us at our Saturday morning coffee shop, bring their children to our Kingdom Kids youth group or come to Sunday worship. It's been lovely to be able to come alongside people and do life with them."

Each dish on the course is intended to serve four people for about £1 a serving, focusing on batch meals like hotpots, curries and casseroles.

Lindsey added: "Looking at the wider impact, many people who come on the course have partners and families who will be having those meals too, so just the meals cooked on the course alone has helped feed more than 500 people."

For Carol, who found herself in a dark place after the death of her parents and her husband in close succession, taking part in the course changed her life, and she is now going to return to volunteer.

Carol said: "When I joined the course, I'd been living on sandwiches, I found it such a chore to cook for one, but now I'm cooking for six, for my children and grandchildren.

"Coming here, I just stopped feeling sorry for myself, it opened my life up again. My confidence came back, I've been on holidays, I've travelled. I never thought in a million years I'd be doing something like that, I didn't think about going anywhere really, I was just sat in the same spot. It was taking that first step through the door at The Salvation Army that changed things."

Grieving her mum, for Wendy it took her a while to come through the doors, but when she did she didn't regret it.

Wendy said: "It was one of the best things I'd done in a long time. It was just so nice to be out, to meet new people and to do something different. I learnt new things, came away with a nice little recipe book to do them at home, and obviously it helped with keeping costs down too."

And for volunteer Alison, who was also grieving her husband, helping on the course has been a blessing.

Alison said: "Volunteering was a step for me to get going again.

"You notice if people are cooking side by side, they are all helping each other and then they start talking and giving advice. They've gone in to cook, but have come away with much more than that. I think it's a really healing thing for them, as it was for me."

People start with the six-week cookery course and then can move on to a six-week bakery course if they wish to. There are around six people in each cohort with the course running six or seven times a year. People can be referred by agencies or can self-refer directly with The Salvation Army. If you would like to participate, please get in touch with Scarborough Salvation Army here and ask for Lindsey.

Scarborough Salvation Army, which is led by Majors Ionel and Roxana Sandu, run a number of activities throughout the week as well as worship on a Sunday. Please see their website for more information.

For 160 years, The Salvation Army has been here in the hardest moments. We're here in Yorkshire with warmth, welcome and urgent practical support. Find your local Salvation Army here