A new community project funded through Waverley’s Thriving Communities Commissioning Fund is now bringing free monthly cooking sessions to Godalming.

Plant based cookery school, Joyfull Greens, is now running free monthly cooking sessions on Wednesday mornings from the Denningberg Centre.

Their first session on 25 February was a huge success, with participants cooking a delicious Gambian peanut stew together.

The community project delivers free cookery courses for residents who may face barriers to accessing healthy food - including low‑income households, single parents, carers and anyone wanting to build confidence in the kitchen.

Samantha Hutchison, Assistant Director Community Services, Guildford and Waverley Councils, said:

 “These classes offer a fantastic opportunity for people to come together, share skills, experience different cultural cuisines and improve both their health and community wellbeing. Joyfull Greens were newly established when they applied to our funding scheme and are going from strength to strength. We hope residents will enjoy the sessions and find them truly useful.”

Frédie Lecerf, Founder and CEO of Joyfull Greens, added:

“Our focus is on making healthy and sustainable eating accessible for everyone, regardless of budget or cooking skills. We are passionate about bringing health, joy and connection to the community through cooking and eating together. We are grateful for the support from Waverley and also What Next? who we share the space with.”

These sessions support the council’s corporate priority of creating a more inclusive borough, helping to reduce health inequalities and supporting some of the borough’s less advantaged communities.

Find out more about the classes and the Joyfull Greens offer by visiting: Joyfull Greens | Plant-Based Cookery Classes & Community in Surrey