Army cooks big breakfast for community hub users

Owen Keaton, from the Army Careers Service, cooking at the community big breakfast on Tuesday

The Army was drafted in to help a community group cook a big breakfast for local residents in part of Sheffield.

Several Army staff joined volunteers at the city's Link community centre on Monday to put together the free fry-up for people on the Stradbroke estate.

Helen Eadon, from The Link, explained: “The Army Careers Service got in touch and said they'd like to donate a day with us and asked what they could do to help."

Owen Keaton, from Army recruitment, who was also head chef at the event, said he was pleased to be taking part and said the main item being cooked by him and his colleagues were "lots of different kinds of sausages".

Ellie Eadon, one of the organisers of the big breakfast event, with 91-year-old Barbara Metcalf at The Link

Ms Eadon said staff at The Link "like to do a lot around food because sharing and giving food, sitting down and meeting with your neighbours is quite special".

As a result they had the idea to cook "a big community breakfast", and welcomed the offer from the Army to help out.

“It’s chance for people to come and relax, forget about their worries for a while and have some free food," Ms Eadon said.

Meanwhile, Mr Keaton said that as well as working for the Army, he also volunteered at the Sheffield Archer Project three hours a week, helping homeless people.

He said: "I go around my estate collecting donations and making people aware of the Archer Project.

"I help to feed the homeless, provide a safe environment, give them advice and be that person to talk to.”

Gavin Martin, from Food Works in Sheffield, said the work done by The Link was "amazing"

Sheffield charity Food Works, which uses surplus and locally grown ingredients to create food and drink, also took part in the big breakfast event on Tuesday.

Gavin Martin, from Food Works, said: “We collect from supermarkets, retailers, manufacturers and farms and there's a staggering amount of perfectly good to eat food that would otherwise be wasted.

“Originally we wanted to step in and stop the huge environmental damage from food being wasted, but now we also work with amazing organisations like The Link to make it available to the community."

Mr Martin said staff members "never really know" what food is going to come in every week.

"We might receive palettes of mangoes or courgettes," he added.

"We've recently had some cuddly toy squirrels and sloths which were from a chocolate manufacturer and had been with some Christmas-themed chocolates.

“If things are normally good to eat - or cuddle – we will step in and take them."

Barbara Metcalf, 91, was one of the people enjoying breakfast at The Link on Tuesday and said the food cooked by the Army had been "very nice".

"I come to The Link twice a week for a coffee morning and for dinner. It's lovely to meet up with people."

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