Joyful Greens!
On Wednesday, I joined Joyfull Greens for one of its monthly community cookery sessions in Godalming. I left with a full tummy, a delicious new recipe for a Moroccan sweet potato and chickpea tagine to add to my “supper repertoire” and a fuller heart.
Joyfull Greens is a social enterprise working with Surrey communities to stay healthy and happy through planet-friendly food. I met Frédie, its founder, in September at the Big Lunch at Hale Community and Youth Centre in Farnham and was intrigued by what this voluntary group does. Through food and cooking, it seeks to increase access to affordable, healthy and sustainable food and to improve physical and mental health and community wellbeing by bringing people together. At Joyfull Greens, they believe in healthy, affordable food that is good for people and planet irrespective of budget or cooking skills.
The community cookery session was attended by a variety of people. Some were unpaid carers; one person had a visual impairment and came with her carer; some were older people living alone; some did not have access to personal transport; and some were experiencing mental health challenges. Many of the people who come to the sessions face barriers to accessing social activities and opportunities for community connection. Yet within minutes of starting to cook, chopping boards were shared, tips were swapped, and happy chatter filled the kitchen. Cooking together is a wonderfully easy way to connect, and nobody needs to feel confident to join in.
Joyfull Greens is still at an early stage – having been established in 2024 – but the feedback so far suggests that it does manage to help reduce isolation, build supportive local networks, and strengthen community resilience. One of the Joyfull Greens volunteers first came along as a participant. She is an unpaid carer, raising two autistic children, but she now helps others find the same welcome she did by coming to the group’s cookery sessions. It is a good example of what the project does at its best and is a clear reminder that food is about so much more than nutrition. It is about joy, support and belonging.
