A new cookery course is about to be offered through Grief Matters Highland, facilitated by Highland Hospice.
The six-week course, ‘Cooking in Company’, is for people who have experienced loss and maybe found themselves struggling to enjoy food and cooking. It begins on Wednesday 24th April at Inverness College UHI and will be led by experienced chef and Professional Cookery lecturer Saurav Kumar. The sessions will also be supported by members of the Highland Hospice counselling and bereavement services team.
From the second week onwards, group members will influence the choice of dish their group prepares – and after each lesson there will be the opportunity to retire to the dining room to enjoy the meal and some great company.
Highland Hospice’s Counselling and Bereavement Services Team Lead Una Smale said, “Bereavement can impact a person’s life in many ways, and cooking is one of them. Perhaps your loved one was the better cook or maybe you have just lost your appetite and interest because cooking for one is hard and may no longer be a social activity for you. This course aims to reintroduce cookery as something you might come to enjoy, as well as providing an opportunity to meet others who have also experienced bereavement.”
She added, “We are extremely grateful to both Inverness College UHI and Bidfood for their generosity, which means that there is no charge for this course.”
Georgina Parker, director of external relations at Inverness College UHI, said: “Along with Bidfood, we are delighted to support Highland Hospice and sponsor this cookery course. I hope it makes a real different to people who have experienced loss, and they benefit from this social activity but also the skills our Professional Cookery lecturer Saurav can share.”
If you are interested in signing up for ‘Cooking in Company’, please contact Diane Grant on 01463 227919 or clinsec@highlandhospice.org.uk
Grief Matters Highland is a new initiative from Highland Hospice, Crocus Group, Cruse Bereavement Care Scotland and the NHS Highland Chaplaincy Services. The shared aim of the four partners is to widen access and increase choice in bereavement care services available for adults and children/young people in the Highlands, regardless of factors such as age, mobility, location or cause of death of the loved one. This is an ambitious aim but all partners are committed to working together, sharing expertise and resources to ensure they achieve the best they can for everyone living with grief in the Highlands. Other initiatives offered by Highland Hospice Bereavement Support Services, through Grief Matters Highland are ‘Taking Steps’, a bereavement support walking group which meets in central Inverness on the first and third Tuesday of each month, and ‘Time to Remember’ memorial events led by the Hospice chaplain, with services coming up in Inverness, Kyle, Fort William and Wick and they are open to anyone who has been bereaved.
