Local Award

Local Government Award
West Kempsey Community Renewal Project recently sent a submission to the National Heart Foundation as an entry in their local government awards.
The focus of the submission was on community kitchens, which is a program brought back from Canada by Jill Marsh and implemented at the WKCRP early 2002.
The submission was sent in for consideration came 1st in New South Wales and we are in the running for the national titles which will be judged in November. The project was submitted under the community organisation category. On the 22 October 2002 the West Kempsey Community House hosted a luncheon for the mayor of Kempsey Janet Hayes, the director of Corporate and Community Services Kempsey Shire Council, the principal of Kempsey High and Department of Housing officials and other dignitaries.
Every Wednesday afternoon at 4pm girls, boys & adults meet to take part in community kitchens. Jill conducts the program which teaches Living Skills in the in the form of budgeting, working out menus, shopping for the most economical buys and then preparing a meal that will provide nutrition yet fit within the family budget.
The participants usually share a meal at the end of the session and then take some home for the rest of the family or to freeze for another day.
The West Kempsey Community House Kitchens is funded by the Department of Housing.
The young people who took part in the Community Kitchens also took time off school with the principal's permission and helped prepare the food for the luncheon. That night they were on Prime Television on the 6pm news.
The submission was sent in by Mavis Symonds on behalf of the Kempsey Shire Council who is our local government and who auspice the West Kempsey Community Renewal Project.