ChangeKitchen CIC is Crowdfunding for Change in our City

ChangeKitchen CIC is a social enterprise based in Balsall Heath that is passionate about food justice in our city, and has launched a September crowdfunding campaign to create positive change in the local community.

Their Crowdfunding UK campaign focuses on increasing the health and wellbeing of people and families in the local community, reducing food poverty, and enabling job creation for those experiencing worklessness.

Match funding from both Aviva and Access – The Foundation for Social Investment, means that for the first £150 of each donation ChangeKitchen CIC can claim match funding of x5 until 29th September 2024. Meaning £25 becomes £125, and £150 becomes a huge £750!

WHY IS THIS NEEDED

Communities are still struggling with the cost of living and food poverty, especially among families. Balsall Heath is a deeply rooted, multi-cultural neighbourhood that is also one of the most deprived in the country.

ChangeKitchen CIC are proudly located in the heart of the Balsall Heath community.

In the last year, ChangeKitchen CIC has seen the need for free community meals rise from 200 per week to currently over 500 per week.

With this Crowdfunding campaign they are being ambitious and aiming to raise £50,000 to ensure the nutritional health and wellbeing of individuals and families during this continued cost of living crisis.

WHAT CHANGEKITCHEN CIC WILL DO

ChangeKitchen CIC can provide a free community meal for £1 – so every £1 donated can make a real difference to a real human who is experiencing real hunger right now.

ChangeKitchen CIC are using this crowdfunding campaign to raise awareness of Birmingham food insecurity, help change the financial ability of families to feed themselves nutritiously, and create added social impact:

·       Produce and distribute more free community meals to people experiencing food poverty.

·       Provide healthy eating training within the local Balsall Heath community supporting meal planning and promoting good household budgeting.

·       Create and seek out more work experience and employment opportunities (for those who are struggling to find work in catering and hospitality).

ChangeKitchen CIC will do this by developing their ready meal offer and creating more sales, therefore creating more income, meaning more profits will be re-invested into the ChangeKitchen CIC social enterprise aims.

In the first week, over £25,000 has been raised and is already making a real difference. Local people have been donating already and businesses can book catered events through the Cooking Up Change for Birmingham Crowdfunder UK campaign page.

Birgit Kehrer, founder of ChangeKitchen CIC, says, “On behalf of the whole ChangeKitchen CIC team, we are so incredibly grateful for the support and kindness of our network and the community. It’s a firm belief within our social enterprise that no one should be going hungry in this day and age. Many parents give up their own meals to ensure their children have something to eat. There is a taboo, a real sense of shame, around people not being able to afford a basic human need such as nutritious food. We, at ChangeKitchen CIC, are committed to changing that, so we’re #CookingUpChange and asking people and businesses to get behind our crowdfunding campaign and donate to make a difference this September.”

The crowdfunding campaign runs until 29th September 2024.

Read the ChangeKitchen UK crowdfunding journey here.