While we admire and support the Christmas campaigns that we see pop up in December, we also know that help is urgently needed all year round, each and every year. As some people pack away after the festive break, we are still here.
Our support is not limited to a food package, but it leaps beyond - we form connections, we listen and respond to everyone who steps through our doors. We open up a warm, safe, environment which aims to feel like a home away from home.
For us to continue to thrive and grow, and keep supporting as many people as possible, we are asking you to become a Friend of Cooking Champions. Even a donation of just £5-10 per month can make a HUGE impact on the lives of those who come through our doors.
Pop to our People's Fundraising page to donate, and we promise to keep you updated with how your support is making a difference. Thank you, we appreciate you! Team Cooking Champions
News, comment and features
Articles are shown in publication date order - most recent first.
Enfield Council has announced a £250 prize for essays which bring to life some aspect of the London Borough of Enfield's past - including, of course, the time before the London Borough of Enfield was created 50 years ago from the former boroughs of Enfield, Edmonton and Southgate.
The David Pam Memorial Bursary is named after a renowned local historian who died in 2014. He worked for the Enfield Local History and Museums Service and after retirement became president of the Edmonton.......
The deadline for submitting comments on the Enfield Town and A110 (Southbury Road/Lea Valley Road) cycle lanes proposals is 18th December - this Friday. If the earlier A105 consultation is anything to go by, the deadline will fall at exactly midnight on Friday night, after which the system will no longer accept any input.
Consultation links
Enfield Town consultation
Southbury Road consultation
The debate about Cycle Enfield has been ongoing, on our forums and elsewhere, with.......
A Play Streets scheme that closes roads to cars opened Clare Rogers’ eyes to the idea of roads for recreation. Now she’s part of a grassroots campaign to revolutionise cycling in Enfield – but the battle isn’t over.
A consultation on the Mini Holland proposal to make Enfield town centre bike friendly closes on Friday. Photograph: Cycle Enfield
My sister Sally started it when she sent me a video about Playing Out – the seminal Bristol project which closes.......
The inaugural meeting of a new book club will be held on Tuesday 19th January between 7.30pm and 9pm at the Winchmore pub (formerly the Willow) in Winchmore Hill Road.
As well as talking about the group's first book - The Hundred Year Old Man who Climbed out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson - the meeting will discuss how best to run the new club, eg times and dates, choosing books etc........
Starting on 20th February it will no longer be possible to have a blood test at Chase Farm Hospital without booking in advance.
Currently patients can either pre-book or just turn up and ask at reception. However, after 19th February the second (drop-in) option will no longer be available.
Adult blood test clinics run at the following times:
Monday-Wednesday: 8am-7.30pm
Thursday: 8am-6.30pm
Friday: 8am-4pm
To book a blood test either phone 020 8375 1471 or book online........
Everyone could do with a hero in their life and Enfield Council is launching a campaign to encourage more residents to volunteer their free time and help make the borough a better place for everyone.
It is estimated that 40 per cent of the population volunteer their time and Enfield Council wants more people to join this dedicated band of Enfield Heroes and encourage more people to help make a real difference to their communities by helping out in ways which include helping those more.......
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is asking for feedback from users of hospital services at the Royal Free Hospital, Barnet Hospital and Chase Farm Hospital.
The request for user input comes ahead of an inspection of the Royal Free London NHS Trust Foundation, due to start in February 2016. The three hospitals are all part of the Royal Free Trust (however, our other major local hospital, the North Middlesex, is not included in the Trust).
The CQC describes itself as "the.......
If you are registered with a GP in Enfield you can now access new evening and Saturday appointments from one of two hubs in the borough. The hubs in Edmonton and Winchmore Hill will be offering the extra appointments until 31 March 2016. Using the service will not affect registration at your own practice.
How to book
The easiest way to book is through NHS 111, which is free to call and available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Simply dial 111 on your landline or mobile to speak to them. You.......
Now that evenings are well and truly "drawn in", the problem of knowing how far you've got to on trains is affecting people travelling on Great Northern trains. Some of the stations are very poorly lit and don't have big enough signs with the station name.
There's a very simple solution, of course, at zero cost. The train company should just tell its drivers to announce each station - also helpful, of course, to people with eyesight problems at any time of day. .......
Local health and social care watchdog, Healthwatch Enfield, has today released a report on young people’s experiences of mental health support in the borough. The report’s findings paint a mixed picture of the availability of help for local young people with mental health needs.Young people told Healthwatch that often the key adults in their lives, such as parents, carers, teachers or youth workers, have little understanding of mental health issues. They reported significant negative.......
A new website, Get Your Rights, is highlighting that children and young people have a right to high quality healthcare by the NHS. The website, produced by the Council for Disabled Children at the National Children’s Bureau and funded by the Department of Health, provides everything children and young people need to get the most out of the health service.
It includes:
an interactive guide to children’s rights under the NHS Constitution;
videos from children, young people and.......
NHS England, in partnership with Age UK, Public Health England, and the Chief Fire Officer’s Association and Older People themselves, has published a Practical Guide to Healthy Ageing.
The Guide helps people to stay physically and mentally well by providing “hints and tips” on how to keep fit and independent.
While it is aimed at people of any age, it is particularly relevant for people aged around 70 years or older who are beginning to find that everyday tasks now take them.......