Tottenham charity says it will double staff following £83,000 grant

The food charity OK Foundation has said it will increase staff from five to ten

A Tottenham food charity has said it will double its staff after receiving a grant of over £83,000.

OK Foundation, which hot three course meals, takeaway food parcels and home delivery, alongside cookery classes and social activities including a knitting group, will receive £83,638 across the course of five years.

The grant comes from City Bridge Foundation, London’s biggest independent charity funder.

OK Foundation chair and founder Christina Omideyi said:

“Coming here makes a world of difference to people. Food is really important – it brings people together to socialise, unwind and make friends.

“Being able to come and just sit in the company of others and feel normal goes a long way, and it also helps to reduce the stigma people sometimes feel about using a service like this.

“It’s a great way of promoting community cohesion and it also keeps people healthy because they know when they come here they’re eating really good quality, healthy food.

“The funding from City Bridge Foundation has made a massive difference, especially as it’s over five years. It gives us the confidence to know we don’t have to worry about funding from month to month and year to year.”

The charity was founded in 2008 in memory of Christina’s late husband. Roughly 500 people use the charity every week for its food service.

Chairman Giles Shilson said: “Christina and her team have worked incredibly hard over the last 15 years to build the OK Foundation into an organisation that is right at the heart of the community.

“This funding will enable the charity to increase its staffing levels greatly and to provide healthy, nutritious food, good company and the health benefits these bring to hundreds more Tottenham residents.”

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