Volunteering With Groundwork: Cook & Eat Sessions in Dudley

Back to Life at TBC

1st April 2026

Volunteering With Groundwork: Inside a Cook & Eat Session in Dudley

At The Best Connection, we believe that responsible recruitment goes beyond placing people into jobs. It means supporting the communities where people live and work.

As part of our partnership with Groundwork, a UK charity focused on community and environmental project, Director Dave Schilling recently visited one of their Cook & Eat sessions in Dudley, West Midlands.

Here’s what we saw – and why it matters.

What Is a Groundwork Cook & Eat Session?

Groundwork’s Cook & Eat programme is typlically delivered over several weeks and brings together local residents to learn how to prepare simple, healthy meals.

The sessions focus on:

Practical cooking skills

Understanding nutrition

Budgeting for food

Building confidence in the kitchen

They also provide a supportive environment where people can connect with others in their community.

Groundwork reports that participants often experience improvements in confidence, social interaction and everyday skills through programmes like this.

Our Visit to Dudley: What We Did on the Day

When Dave arrived at the session, the first thing that struck him was the warmth in the room. This wasn’t a formal programme being delivered at arm’s length – it was a community coming together, with Groundwork’s team at the heart of it.

We got stuck in from the start. Helping set up the stations, getting the space ready and welcoming participants as they arrived, it was immediately clear that volunteering here meant genuinely being part of the session, not just observing it.

The morning began with a discussion around nutrition, including healthy eating habits and portion awareness. The session was practical and accessible, encouraging open conversation and questions.

Participants then worked together to prepare a meal, guided by the session leader, Rachel. On this visit, the group made:

bruschetta

sweet and sour Quorn

strawberry cheesecake

We worked alongside participants the whole way through, chopping, preparing, cooking and chatting, and the atmosphere was something you don’t easily forget. People were laughing, helping each other and genuinely enjoying themselves.

The session ended with everyone sitting down together to enjoy the meal — a simple moment that highlighted the social value of the programme. The smiles around that table said everything.

In Dave’s Own Words

“You can never give without receiving. The Cook & Eat project led by Groundwork was very informative, inspiring and offers fantastic support for people in the local Dudley community. Led by Rachel, who has such huge compassion for people, she met every individual’s needs – which left everybody feeling like they had achieved something. This was confirmed by the smiles on their faces after eating the three dishes.

You could observe how individuals have bonded over the past five weeks, having extended their social circle by making many new friends as a result of the Cook & Eat project. This is why projects like this are so important – it brings people together, each with their own story, but collectively everybody needs a sense of belonging. And this creates the perfect opportunity for people in the local community to really flourish and grow as individuals.”

– Dave Schilling, Director, The Best Connection

Why Corporate Volunteering Matters

Expectations of businesses are changing. Clients, candidates and employees increasingly expect organisations to demonstrate social responsibility as part of how they operate.

For a recruitment business, this is particularly important. We support people into work across the UK, and that means playing a role in the wider wellbeing of the communities we serve.

Programmes like Groundwork’s Cook & Eat contribute to:

confidence and independence

community connection

skills that support everyday life

Groundwork’s Cook & Eat programme sits at the intersection of everything we care about – employment, community resilience, health and wellbeing. Seeing it in action, in a community like Dudley, made the case more powerfully than any report or data set ever could.

As session leader Rachel put it: “Thank you for coming out to see what we do. It was lovely having you there, and I’m really glad you both enjoyed the morning.”

The feeling was very much mutual.

The Best Connection and Groundwork: What Comes Next

Our partnership with Groundwork, launched in 2026, reflects a shared belief that employment, community and wellbeing are closely connected.

Over the coming months, our teams will continue to:

volunteer in local community programmes

support environmental initiatives

contribute to projects that promote health and wellbeing

This is part of a long-term commitment to supporting the communities where we operate.

A job is never just a job. And this partnership is never just a partnership.

To find out more, visit our Groundwork Partnership Hub.

About The Best Connection

The Best Connection is one of the UK’s leading providers of temporary workforce solutions. For over three decades we have proudly served and supported our clients and candidates across multiple industry sectors, delivering our best-in-class customer service.

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