Layton Methodist Church - Layton Forward Project
Publication: Blackpool Gazette
Date: June 6th 2024
Title: Blackpool funeral home donates funds for a good cause
A funeral home in Blackpool has joined an initiative to support low-income families.
Co-op Funeralcare on Bispham Road is assisting local charity, the Layton Forward Project, based at the Layton Methodist Church, with its cookery course to support families with budget and healthy meal options.
Beginning on Tuesday 4 June, from 1pm to 3pm, the cookery course was established after it was identified that most food banks are only open during working hours and are not accessible for working families.
Glynis Wilson, Care Logistics Manager at Co-op Funeralcare, and Michelle Smith, Funeral Service Manager at Co-op Funeralcare, are members of the committee at the Layton Forward Project and as part of the funeral home’s long-standing three year relationship with the charity, have most recently donated 30 Crock-Pots to the good cause.
Those who attend will learn how to cook meals that cost less than £5 and will also leave with the knowledge of how to reduce food waste - for example using stale bread to make a bread-and-butter pudding. The classes have been designed using ingredients commonly found at food banks to ensure that participants are able to recreate the meals easily at home.
Jackie Garner, volunteer for the Layton Forward Project, said: ‘We’re delighted to be helping families in Blackpool and the surrounding areas cook healthy and nutritious meals and can’t wait to see the positive impact the course has. Everyone at the Layton Forward Project also wants to say a huge thank you to Co-op Funeralcare for supporting us with our cause, helping families worry about one less thing during a cost-of-living crisis.’
Glynis said: ‘As a member-owned business, we’re always looking for ways in which we can support the local community, and we’re delighted here at Bispham Road to have partnered with the Layton Forward Project on such an important issue. We are looking forward to seeing the positive difference these classes have on families, as we know how valuable healthy and nutritious meals are for children and the weight it can lift off a parent’s shoulder during such a hard economic time.’