Sanctuary in Chichester’s Cooking Group offers refugees and asylum seekers a space to cook, learn, and share meals, facilitating integration and cultural exchange. These sessions are particularly valuable for those living at the hotel without access to kitchen facilities. The project has been set up to complement Food for Friends which is organised by Transition Chichester and has been running for a while (they happen on alternate Thursdays).

Cooking from Home
Jude Clouston, Trustee and Drop-In Lead who initiated the cooking project with James Field, Coordinator at the hotel, shared; “It’s wonderful to see the enthusiasm with which the women wash, chop, prepare and then cook the ingredients they’ve requested for the session. For a couple of hours at least, they’re in control. One of them told me she didn’t think she would be able to cook her Caribbean food again – she felt she’d lost touch with her culture – but, faced with fresh fish and spices, she set to and clearly relished the experience.”

Impact
The Cooking Group was established in response to the need for cooking facilities for hotel residents, where meals provided are often limited. It’s dehumanising not being able to cook nutritious, home-cooked meals, a crucial role for many women in their families.

The sessions are about more than just cooking; they provide an essential therapeutic outlet and a way to preserve cultural identity through food. Jude notes, “Food is so important to these women. It is an integral part of their cultures: to turn fresh ingredients into nutritious and delicious meals to share with family and friends.”

Dishes above include Afghani (halal) lamb and rice dish called qabli pilaw, various salads and Afghani cookies called kolcha.