Cookery Training Volunteers – Adult Education

About the Cookery Training Programme:
The courses we run in our cookery training room aim to provide people with simple and basic skills required to provide healthy meals for themselves and their families. They are based on the understanding that healthy eating does not have to be difficult or expensive.
Each class also includes some nutritional information with the aim of educating people about the foods we eat and the effect these foods can have on our general well-being.
These courses also involve a more practical approach on how to cook healthy food on a budget.

We are offering two types of courses:
Cooking for the family – Wednesday 7pm – 9pm &; Thursday 10:30am – 12:30pm
This is a more beginner’s orientated class to teach people basic cookery skills.

Come Dine with me – Thursday 7pm – 9pm
This class is a more developed class for people who can cook but would like to learn new dishes. It should help to enhance cooking skills in an informal and social cooking atmosphere.

The aim of this centre is to limit the use of fast food as the main elements in the diets of the community, offering them a healthier option in this regard while at the same time teaching them some useful culinary skills that will benefit them and their families throughout their lives.

Overview of the Volunteer Role:
To reach our full potential and to achieve our goals in the classes, we are constantly seeking new volunteers to share their cookery skills and to teach these classes in an informal setting. Our classes are focused on the needs of the individuals who take them. Each class has a team of 2 teachers who work together sharing tasks and lead teaching each week.

Tasks:

• To use the recipe information already in place and/or to think of recipes with your teaching partner or together with the group and to share this with the group one week in advance.
• To source and purchase the ingredients needed to undertake the classes, these will be funded by the centre.
• To prepare the classes in advance.
• Demonstrate the methodology of cooking each selected dish.
• Participate in cooking and come to the aid of the participants.
• Inform participants about healthy cooking, nutrition, cooking on a budget and shopping skills.
• Introduce new members to the group and ensure all members are included and engaged in the activity.
• To attend team meetings and training days if/when possible.
• To follow the policies and procedures of Ozanam House (which can be found in the induction pack or in the office) as well as the Cookery Centre Health & Safety Policies in place.
• Other general responsibilities in the context of the role as agreed with the co-ordinator.

Time commitment:
Classes in the cookery centre run on Wednesday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00pm, Thursday morning from 10:30am to 12:30pm and evening from 7:00 to 9:00pm.
The volunteer should commit to at least one of the classes mentioned above plus extra time for the preparation of the classes (the exact times and days of working will be agreed between the volunteer and the programme co-ordinator).
The volunteer should commit to a minimum period of nine months. This covers 3 terms with each term lasting 10 weeks. This offers consistency to a class level and offers the volunteer the opportunity to develop that class well over time.