Doing something great with an extra plate

By 2018, Adult Social Care will face a funding gap of £907 million. And with more than half the population set to be 50+ by 2020, we need services to help fill that gap.

Designed and piloted in partnership with four local councils, Casserole Club is a proven, low-cost way to reduce social isolation and improve food provision among older people.

The service helps people share extra portions of home-cooked food with others in their area who might not always be able to cook for themselves. Like a local, community-led meals on wheels project, members serve up meals to their neighbours, getting more people cooking fresh food while strengthening local neighbourhood relationships with every bite.

More than 6,000 people across Britain and Australia have signed up to share meals through Casserole Club. Of the older people receiving meals through the service, 70% of them consider their volunteer cooks to be friends and 80% say they wouldn’t have as much social contact as they’d like without services like Casserole Club.

Key features

• connect with neighbours in their local area
• customise their volunteering experience so it works for them
• give back to their community while doing something they enjoy

Benefits to councils

• reduce social isolation and improve food provision among older people
• strengthen connections between generations within communities
• help older residents stay independent for longer
• provide a flexible micro-approach for people to volunteer their time and skills locally