Cooking up friendships in the Blackford Community
The Blackford Parish Chursh was awarded £1,400 from the Blackford Community Fund for their thriving community initiative to tackle social isolation and the cost of living crisis.
Blackford, a village situated between Perth and Stirling, has approximately 900 residents. The Blackford Community Fund supports various community groups that provide essential activities and services for residents, including leisure pursuits and opportunities for social connection. Twice a year the Blackford Community Fund offers grants to charities and community groups that are looking to benefit their local community.
The Blackford Community Fund prioritises activities that benefit older residents, helping them maintain strong social connections within the community.
For many years, the Senior Citizen's Lunch Club provided varied activities for older residents, including those who had moved away but maintained local ties. A highlight of the programme was the monthly lunches at Blackford Primary School, where seniors shared meals with schoolchildren, fostering connections across generations. When school catering moved off-site to the Secondary School, this arrangement became unfeasible.
However, after the Senior Citizen's Lunch Club closed in 2020, Blackford Parish Church partnered with the primary school to continue this valued tradition. Not only does it enable local residents to socialise and enjoy a healthy meal together, but it also provides an informal opportunity to build friendships and combat social isolation.
Following the pandemic, the lunches were opened to all ages, offering not only social opportunities for older residents but also providing a warm space and hot meal for anyone in the village affected by the cost-of-living crisis.
Each month, a small group of Primary 7’s serves community members a free two-course meal, after which the remainder of the Primary 6 and 7 pupils join in for an all-ages sing-along. The musical selection spans traditional Scottish folk songs to musicals and even includes ABBA and Beatles favourites. These musical sessions help bridge generational gaps while giving young people valuable experience performing in public and building self-confidence.
The project has also benefited local volunteers who prepare the meals, offering opportunities to gain food hygiene qualifications.
As monthly attendance grows, the Church is exploring options to provide transport to and from the event, ensuring that even those with limited mobility can participate.
The Blackford sub-fund has contributed just under £1,400 to date, covering ingredients, musical entertainment and food hygiene certificates. With bi-annual grant-making rounds, it is hoped that the sub-fund will have further opportunities to support this thriving community initiative.