Kirkconnel and Keloholm Development Trust running community food sharing project
Coalfields Regeneration Trust provided food hygiene and first aid training
The Coalfields Regeneration Trust (CRT) has been working in partnership with the Kirkconnel and Keloholm Development Trust (KKDT) to deliver a variety of training opportunities in Dumfries and Galloway.
A dozen participants recently took part in food hygiene and first aid courses and all passed with flying colours. One of the participants, Elizabeth Rawlins, was 72 years of age and was delighted to receive her certificate.
KKDT plans to further develop a community food sharing project this year which it said will benefit people across a large rural area.
Over the last year, the Upper Nithsdale Community Food Sharing Group has facilitated a variety of events and activities. Such events included ‘The Rhubarb Experience’, a community food sharing event designed to celebrate in-season and locally sourced food products generously donated by a local farmer who is also a group member. The group organised a recipe swap session and those participating enjoyed swapping their stories of long sunny days spent picking berries or dipping their raw stalks of rhubarb into sugar.
The Miners Memorial Hall is the Upper Nithsdale central hub and FareShare is now available weekly to assist those in need, along with other community food sharing activities within the Upper Nithsdale area, such as ‘The Cabin Lunch Club’ and the ‘Breakfast Club’ and cooking classes based at the Adult Resource Centre.
It is hoped that additional community food sharing activities will continue to develop with particular focus on supporting families throughout the holiday period which can often be a time when many families struggle.
Michelle Johnston from the Kirkconnel and Keloholm Development Trust said: “Everyone who took part in the recent food hygiene and first aid training with the Coalfields Regeneration Trust really benefited from the experience. The training has been really beneficial for our community food sharing initiative which will be a valuable service for the whole area.”
Elizbeth Rawlins said: “I worked in the care industry but I’m now 72 so that’s going back a long time. The first aid training was a wonderful experience, the trainer was really superb and I got a nice certificate. I live in a rural area and I’m going to be a volunteer so it’s good to be a registered first- aider. It was great to see the training before offered in this area and I’m thankful to The Coalfields Regeneration Trust for this opportunity.”
Nicky Wilson, a CRT trustee in Scotland, said: “We were pleased to work in partnership with Kirkconnel and Keloholm Development Trust to deliver Food Hygiene and first aid training. These opportunities made a real difference in the community.”