Cooking Up Confidence: How Fitz Foodies Builds Skills and Community Across Generations
At Fitzrovia Community Centre, the kitchen has always been more than just a place to cook — it’s a space where confidence grows, friendships form, and people discover skills they never knew they had.
In recent months, the Centre’s after-school cooking club, Fitz Foodies, brought together a unique mix of local children and teenage volunteers, offering a shared learning experience that left a lasting impression on everyone involved.
More Than a Cooking Club
Fitz Foodies welcomes up to 15 children each week during term time, offering hands-on sessions where they learn everything from basic knife skills to baking and cooking healthy meals from scratch. Under the warm and steady guidance of Family & Children Manager, Kadi Choi, and cook assistant Tauhida, the club provides a safe, creative space for children to build confidence, try new things and work together in the kitchen.
But what made this particular run of Fitz Foodies especially meaningful was the addition of four young volunteers — teenage girls from a Marylebone secondary school — who joined the programme as part of their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) journey.
The Power of Peer Support
These DofE participants supported the children, helped with session setup and clearing away, and worked alongside Kadi to keep the group focused and engaged. Though volunteering was the formal reason for their involvement, many of the girls said the experience felt much closer to the skills section of the award — because they learned so much themselves.
“I enjoyed learning about different cultures and their national dishes, some of which I had no prior knowledge of. I also liked helping the younger children.”
- Evie Tran, DoE volunteer, aged 14
The opportunity also provided something that many DofE students and their parents find hard to come by: a supportive and structured community placement that genuinely benefits both the volunteers and the organisation. In this case, it also had a ripple effect on the younger children, who clearly looked up to their teenage helpers. “It was lovely to see the little ones learning from the older girls,” said Kadi. “They brought a different kind of energy — and they really stepped up. It was a brilliant mix.”
Skills for Life
The children who attend Fitz Foodies not only learn practical cooking techniques, but also essential soft skills — teamwork, patience, following instructions, and problem-solving. For some, it is their first real experience in a kitchen. For others, it was a place to grow socially, learning to work and have fun in a group.
For the DofE girls, the experience offered an insight into responsibility, leadership and communication — skills that go far beyond the requirements of the award.
“Volunteering has helped me develop a wide range of valuable skills, and working with younger children has taught me how to explain instructions clearly, stay organised under pressure and adapt quickly when things don’t go to plan.”
– Eva Yared, DoE volunteer, aged 14
A Model That Makes a Difference
The success of this blended approach highlights what community-based programmes do best: create inclusive, real-world experiences that benefit multiple age groups at once. Fitz Foodies worked because of the care, structure and warmth brought by Kadi and the team — and because it trusted young people to rise to the occasion.
While this round of DofE volunteer placements has now come to an end, the positive impact remains — on the children who discovered a love of cooking, and on the volunteers who gained valuable skills, confidence and memories.
Looking Ahead
As Fitzrovia Community Centre continues to deliver engaging, practical programmes like Fitz Foodies, we’re always looking for new ways to bring people together — across ages, backgrounds and experiences.
If you’re a school, parent or funder interested in supporting opportunities like these, we’d love to hear from you.
What the DofE Volunteers Said
“This experience has not only boosted my confidence, but also encouraged me to apply what I’ve learned at home and school.”
“I’ve learned so much from working with the kids – including patience, communication and how to be confident when helping others!”
“It was rewarding to see the children learn basic kitchen skills and gain confidence along the way. Especially with Star Baker of the Week - every child was enthusiastic to be the Star Baker!”
About Fitzrovia Community Centre
We are a warm and inclusive community hub offering year-round activities and support services for people of all ages, backgrounds, and circumstances. Our work focuses on four core themes:
