Cooking up Change in Birmingham

Dr Birgit Kehrer, ChangeKitchen CIC Founder, at The Active Wellbeing Society foodbank and supporting food distribution during Covid. 

A Birmingham social enterprise, ChangeKitchen CIC, is ‘cooking up change for good’ and is on a mission to provide community meals for vulnerable individuals during the current cost of living crisis. 

ChangeKitchen CIC is one of only 36 social enterprises and charities to be awarded The Cost of Living Challenge Fund, run in partnership with the School for Social Entrepreneurs. The fund supports Social Enterprises working with communities and individuals hardest hit by cost of living pressures. It provides a Match Trading grant to help grow trading income and tackle some of the hardest societal challenges. 

A huge thank you goes to ChangeKitchen from ecobirmingham, having supplied one of our Big Give Campaign events with a delicious display of food that our supporters loved. This generous offering helped us to reach our fundraising target for the first time ever! Their commitment to community support and impact, makes us proud to share their match funding campaign!

“Being awarded the opportunity to match fund our income until the end of May means we can reach further and deeper into the local Balsall Heath community. This is particularly important as we approach school holidays. We use our profits to provide vulnerable families in the Balsall Heath locality, who need extra support at this time of economic hardship, with hot meals. Currently, we distribute up to 300 community meals each week.” 

“The Cost of Living Challenge Fund will mean we can double our efforts to reduce food poverty as every booking for catered events, whether it’s a business conference, staff lunch, a wedding or family celebration. Income also supports people with skills and into volunteering opportunities, and keeps our Community Pantry topped up.” 

“Balsall Heath is a vibrant, diverse community with deep cultural connections However, hunger is a real-time social issue for many during the current cost of living crisis that can affect anyone. Our whole team is deeply passionate that no one should go hungry, or feel they are unable to ask for help when its needed.” 

With every £100 of income they receive, ChangeKitchen CIC can provide 100 free community meals.

As of March 2024, ChangeKitchen have provided 9,000 emergency food parcels, and the need is still present. Their income also supports people to learn new skills, engage with meaningful volunteering opportunities, and keeps our Community Pantry topped up.

What does it all mean?

The Cost of Living Challenge Fund allows ChangeKitchen CIC to match fund their income through to 31st May 2024.

This additional funding means they can do even more to…

REDUCE food poverty – REDUCE food waste – REDUCE food injustice

while creating more Social Impact through tasty, healthy community meals for those who need a little help at this time in a ‘cost of living’ crisis.

What can you do?

  • Help ChangeKitchen feed more vulnerable people while enjoying tasty food yourself.

  • All bookings and orders will be match funded, meaning your order will supply vulnerable people with delicious and nutritious meals.
ChangeKitchen CIC Kindness Café in Balsall Heath. 
ChangeKitchen CIC catered International Women’s Day 2024 event at Ikon Gallery.  

If you are interested in booking catering for an upcoming event – a birthday, function, or even a wedding, or otherwise if you require catering for social or corporate events, please consider asking them to quote, or better still, book early, to enjoy our delicious menus at your next event, and support their match funding campaign!


Vacancy: Chair of the Board of Trustees
Vacancy: Project Coordinator




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