Food and Culture Day at Space 88
Last month, Hoogah staff teamed up with The SAFE Foundation, Women for Resources and Inspire Training to take part in a cultural exchange and food hygiene training day at the new Swansea-based community space, ‘Space at 88’.
Hoogah + Community Organisations
The organisations that were involved in the event each do important work within the community and the training day was the perfect opportunity for Hoogah and SAFE staff and individuals from Women for Resources and Inspire to share good food, industry knowledge and get to know each other better.
Inspire Training
Inspire Training is a Wales-based organisation which ‘provides youth and adults with skills, qualifications & confidence to progress within their personal and professional lives.’ Young people from the Inspire programme have taken part in Barista Skills training events and have volunteered at FairTrade events through The SAFE Foundation.
Women for Resources
‘Women for Resources support initiatives designed, managed and run by women and girls in Wales and Africa.’ Their work in Swansea focuses on supporting and empowering refugee and asylum seeking women in the area and they help facilitate training for women looking for work in the UK.
This goal is important because even though asylum seekers are supported with housing, individuals seeking asylum in the UK only receive around £37.75 per week to live on and are unable to work when they first arrive in the country. ‘Asylum seekers can apply for permission to work after 12 months, but only in skilled "shortage" areas, making the UK's policy more restrictive than many other countries’. By supporting the professional development of women who are seeking asylum and those who are studying or trying to gain employment, Women for Resources are helping women to develop their professional skills in a time when they are in need of crucial support.
The SAFE Foundation
‘The SAFE Foundation is a Cardiff-based charity committed to improving the lives of some of the poorest people and communities in the world. With a variety of projects taking place in the UK and overseas, [their] mission is to build a fairer, brighter and peaceful future for the world.’ The aim of their global and cultural education programme is to increase awareness and understanding within communities about world issues - this session was part of a new pilot programme combining work based skills with global education and cultural exchange.
Hoogah
At Hoogah, we are community focused and support initiatives that align with our values. We have recently pledged our support to Swansea City of Sanctuary who are ‘committed to building a culture of hospitality and welcome, especially for refugees seeking sanctuary from war and persecution’. We chose to take part in this Food Hygiene training hosted by SAFE because it was an opportunity to integrate with our local community and help transform what is usually an independent learning experience into a fun and sociable event that gave us the chance to meet other people and learn about their cultures.
Food Hygiene Training + Lunch Social
Angie from SAFE, who is also the Managing Director of Hoogah and has many years of hospitality experience, led the Level 2 Food Hygiene for Catering course and all attendees of the event went home with a qualification that enables them to handle food in catering settings.
The day wasn’t just about training though! Guests brought some tasty homemade treats with them for our coffee break and we enjoyed some vegan lunch while getting to know each other and sharing what we were most grateful for that day. Overall, the event was a great opportunity from people from a range of backgrounds to learn a new skill in a sociable and relaxed setting. Hoogah staff had the chance to learn more about the experiences of refugee and asylum seekers living in Swansea, socialise with young people from Inspire, and were able to share their experiences of working in hospitality with the group.
Thanks to SAFE and all who attended for a great day!
Hoogah Staff x
