A project set up in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak aims to continue to support the Dorset community coming out of the pandemic.

Dorchester Community Kitchen has supported vulnerable people throughout the crisis through providing them with over 1500 food and hygiene boxes.

They are now looking towards making the project sustainable moving out of the pandemic and supporting those most vulnerable in everyday life.

Dorchester Community Kitchen has started a Justgiving crowd funder page to ensure they can continue the project, which relies on donations from the community.

Marcus Frith, one of the founders of Dorchester Community Kitchen, said: "During the emergency we had already begun to form, but very quickly the emergency was upon us.

"The support has been fantastic. people are what is driving us to make community share because these people are genuinely wanting to help their neighbours in challenging times.”

"We have seen the community come together to support itself and we realised our initial ambition was to be a community operation and that the response of the community meant that we really should work towards that moving out of the emergency."

The project, which is run out of Storehouse Church on Cambridge Road, began with six people in March and now has over 30 people volunteering.

They have big plans to sustain their work, having identified a need for the community kitchen to continue long after the pandemic has subsided.

Moving forward, Dorchester Community Kitchen will as a part of the larger Community Share, which aims to support vulnerable people throughout Dorset.

"Community Share is very much about sharing and affording people the opportunity to make contributions to the wider community in different ways.

"Vulnerability comes in so many different guises, both long term and short term. Coming away from the current level of restrictions and going into the 'new norm' will show a different level of vulnerability.

“Helping vulnerable people in the community in its widest context is our aim for the future."

For more information or to access the link to the Crowdfunder, follow ‘Dorchester Community Kitchen’ on Facebook and @DorchesterComm2 on Twitter.

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e: bradley.white@newsquest.co.uk

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