CFINE, a charity and social enterprise which tackles poverty, builds resilience and improves health and wellbeing for and with vulnerable, disadvantaged individuals, families and communities, has been chosen as the recipient of the 2022 Celebrate Aberdeen Parade collection fund.
The organisation, which provides support across the North-east, will use the £1,100 donation to provide a block of 12 ‘cooking on a budget’ sessions for eight people at its community training kitchen, Cook at the ‘Nook.
Cook at the ‘Nook is a fully equipped training kitchen and CFINE’s trained and experienced staff will be on hand to provide one-to-one support for participants. The donation will cover the cost of delivering the sessions, including ingredients, tuition and training.
The focus of the sessions is on food skills education, supporting participants in making cost-effective, nutritious choices, by increasing confidence and skills in the kitchen.
The funds were generated from the collecting buckets carried by volunteers during the parade. Since the parade first started in 2011, thousands of pounds have been raised by the generosity of the spectators who line the parade route. One hundred per cent of the money raised each year goes to one of the participating organisations.
Graeme Robbie, CFINE Senior Development Manager – Strategy, said the donation will provide a very welcome boost to support the services it provides.
“The cost-of-living crisis is having a devastating impact on the most vulnerable in society, and CFINE is on the front line in responding to increasing need for support services such as emergency food, financial/welfare advice, employability/skills development, and cooking on a budget support.
“Now, more than ever, it is essential that as much support as possible is made available to those struggling. The pandemic shone a light on poverty and CFINE experienced exceptional levels of demand for services. Sadly, due to the cost-of-living crisis demand is reaching the same level as the worst of the pandemic and looks set to continue to rise.”
Around 4,000 marchers representing 120 organisations took part in the last year’s parade and all participating organisations were invited to bid for the street collection donation.
“As always it was incredibly difficult to select just one recipient,” said Celebrate Aberdeen board member John Slater. “I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to apply. The calibre was extremely high and emphasised once again how much good work is going on behind the scenes to help so many people who are reliant on such organisations to provide extra support at times when they need it the most.
“The judging panel viewed CFINE’s application to be a worthy recipient of the funding raised at the last year’s parade. The funds will go towards a specific project, providing essential skills to a number of folk from Aberdeenshire, to help them to become more resilient during the current cost of living crisis.
“The ‘Cooking on a Budget’ sessions – to be delivered as a result of this funding – will see a group of people learn the basics of cooking on a budget, leaving a lasting impact within the community. They will be of particular benefit to those accessing CFINE’s food bank, community pantries, and other support services.”
Organisations have until Friday, June 23 to register for this year’s Celebrate Aberdeen parade which will take place on Saturday, August 26. To register, visit Celebrate Aberdeen Parade Registration 2023