Food and Friendship

This project was first developed in response to the backlog in the UK asylum system, leaving thousands of women and children stuck living long-term in what was designed to be temporary hotel accommodation, without security, meaningful community or even a place to play or eat together. The UK Refugee Council highlighted the detrimental impact of prolonged stays in hotels on asylum-seekers’ mental and physical well-being, and notes that residents describe feeling ‘trapped’ with their ‘lives on hold’.

In 2023, we launched Food and Friendship as a pilot with Westminster-based charity Unfold, who run support groups for women seeking asylum in the borough. Our launch event in July 2023 hosted over 60 attendees from WIN and Unfold’s Women’s Support Groups, with Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Hindu women alongside women of no faith, enjoying 15 different dishes from different cultures and traditions. Activities were provided for the children and Gants Hill WIN Chair Dr. Sudarshan Kapur MBE led a laughter yoga session for all attendees.

At these shared meal events, migrant and refugee communities can make connections with WIN members from different faith and cultural backgrounds, many with a shared history of migration. Sharing food creates an atmosphere of intimacy, opening up conversations and breaking down barriers, therefore promoting social integration and meaningful relationship building between communities. Preparing dishes from home also encourages communities to share in and celebrate their cultural heritage through their regional cuisines.

In Interfaith Week 2024, we piloted the project in Waltham Forest with our local WIN group and support from Waltham Forest Migrant Action. In 2025, we’ll be bringing more Food and Friendship events to Waltham Forest so watch this space or get in touch to find out more!