Cooking project tackling loneliness expands across Sheffield care homes
Sheffcare residents are set to benefit from a new initiative launched by charity Grandma’s Soup, which brings together students from Sheffield’s two universities to help tackle loneliness among older people.
Grandma’s Soup tackles loneliness among the elderly by bringing different generations together through preparing food together and enjoying conversation.
The project was inspired by Oma’s Soep in the Netherlands, which now operates in 14 cities across the country and reaches out to more than 700 elderly and vulnerable people every week.
And 95 per cent of people taking part have said the activities help reduce feelings of loneliness.
The student-led UK launch of the campaign is centred on Sheffield, London and Oxford.
Sheffield care home charity Sheffcare’s first session with Grandma’s Soup was held at their Grange Crescent home in Sharrow, where students from both the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University joined residents in making soup and making new friends.
“Grandma’s Soup brings generations together preparing ingredients, cooking and sharing a meal, reconnecting communities,” said Sheffcare Dementia and Wellbeing Manager Kathryn Rawling.
“It is a simple concept but it gives our residents the opportunity to be actively engaged and creative, maintaining a sense of independence.
“Cooking and sharing a meal is a heartwarming way of bringing people together.
“The joining together of different generations is something we have always valued at Sheffcare and we already have good links with our student communities, which made Grandma’s Soup the perfect project for us to be involved with.
“Following its success at Grange Crescent we will now be taking it to our Burnt Tree Croft home in Upperthorpe.”