Interview with Mini Cooking Club volunteer, Tim

Our wonderful volunteer, Tim, has been with the Mini Cooking Club ever since it started four years ago, and he is now one of our trustees. Tim tells us about what inspires him to volunteer.

What made you want to volunteer for a food charity?

Food plays such an important part in my life. Even after the worst day, you can always brighten it up with a delicious meal in the evening. 

What have you learnt since volunteering with The Mini Cooking Club?

It's easy to wrap yourself up in the London rat race: coming to the various classes, watching or helping people from all walks of life learn so much about nutrition and food preparation is both satisfying and humbling. I have learned not to take anything in life for granted, even the smallest of things, as we often do not appreciate how lucky we are.

What is your best memory/funny moment from the Mini Cooking Club?

Being in a class and witnessing the reaction of kids touching raw meat for the first time was quite something.

What would you say to people that are thinking about volunteering with us?

Make sure you understand that volunteering may look fun and "glamorous" from the outside - but ask yourself if you really want to give up  your weekends, or your evenings, to come and help others.
You need to be really passionate about what you're doing and what you want to achieve.

Thanks, Tim! 

Volunteering with The Mini Cooking Club

Volunteers play such an important role in our charity, without them we could not do the amazing work we are doing at the moment. The Mini Cooking Club runs cooking classes for children and families in the borough of Southwark.

Our volunteers are often university students studying a nutrition related degree that are looking to expand their skills and get on hands experience in the field, or professionals in the food industry wanting to give back to the community. However, you do not have to be an expert in nutrition or cooking to volunteer for us.

For the last couple of years, the Club has had a range of volunteers from all walks of life. Some are retired and looking to meet new people, while some are professionals who are tired of the London rat race and looking for new experiences. We even have chefs who want to put their skills at work even after cooking the whole day!

However, what all of our volunteers have in common is sharing their passion of food with others.

One of our volunteers says: “I’ve found that eating well can make a big difference to my health and would love to share this knowledge with other people”.

A typical day for a Mini Cooking Club Volunteer may consist of assisting in the kitchen, helping people with knife skills, talking about the nutritional content of food or writing food-related articles. Whatever your interest is, there is something for everybody – but what is also important is that you are “keen, socially motivated with an appetite for change.”

Volunteers say that they learn a lot of things related to food and nutrition. They say that they also find it humbling to witness people learning about this. However, being a volunteer brings with it a lot of memorable moments.

One volunteer says “Being in a class and witnessing the reaction of kids touching raw meat for the first time was quite something.”


If you are thinking of volunteering with The Mini Cooking Club and seeing what it is like to share the joy of cooking, our volunteers say: “Do it, it's a fantastic experience.”

For volunteering opportunities please contact us at info@theminicookingclub.org.uk or visit our website for more information.

By Yancy Jensen