Bold start: A small Bath kitchen is growing bigger and stronger, fueled by a new round of funding that could reshape how it serves the community—and why that matters to you.
Bath Community Kitchen, a not-for-profit focused on reducing loneliness, isolation, and food poverty, is expanding its reach thanks to £19,650 in National Lottery funding. The extra money will allow the organization to open a new area in Radstock, Somerset, while continuing its weekly community meals in Twerton and broadening access to its programs.
In addition to sustaining its regular weekly meals—held every Thursday at the Lighthouse Centre in Twerton where volunteers prepare a three-course vegetarian dinner—the grant will fund more opportunities for people at risk of homelessness. Specifically, participants will be able to join the Cook Like a Chef course, and the Guys Can Cook programme will be expanded to support older men living alone who may feel isolated.
Bath Community Kitchen’s founder, Rob Lewis, emphasizes the broader mission: “Cooking and eating together is such a powerful way to build connections, confidence, and a sense of belonging.” Since its inception, the project has served over 5,000 people at community meals and welcomed more than 3,000 attendees to workshops, including refugees. The kitchen’s impact isn’t limited to meals—it also helps reduce waste, diverting almost four tonnes of food from going to landfill.
Volunteer Ellie Rymer describes the experience as a special, welcoming space where people come together for various reasons and backgrounds. She notes that the workshops are particularly valuable for children who are learning to cook, turning activities into enjoyable, hands-on experiences.
The funding story doesn’t stop with the National Lottery. Bath Community Kitchen also received a £5,000 grant from Groundwork UK Comic Relief Community Fund, along with more than £5,000 in in-kind support and donations from local businesses.
Why this matters: expanding into Radstock means more neighborhoods gain access to healthy, affordable meals and social programs designed to combat isolation and food insecurity. The project also demonstrates how targeted funding can multiply impact by extending services and creating new community spaces.
Controversy and questions to consider: Does moving into new areas always ensure benefits for existing participants, or could new audiences dilute the sense of belonging for current attendees? How should community programs balance expansion with maintaining personal, local connections? If you’ve got thoughts on the best way to scale community-led services, share them in the comments.
