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The Ashbourne-based community and church café project addresses loneliness, social isolation and mental wellbeing by providing hearty meals and good company.

Ossie's Kitchen, in Ashbourne, has been nominated for The King’s Award for Voluntary Service (KAVS).

The prestigious award is the highest honour given in recognition of voluntary service.

Ossie's Kitchen, based at St Oswald's Church, addresses loneliness, social isolation and mental wellbeing through providing freshly cooked, three-course meals eaten in the company of others.

Ossie's kitchen caters for around 70 people each time

It operates twice a month, each time feeding around 65 to 70 people with meals created from surplus food from food retailers, including supermarkets.

Anne Ford, a churchwarden at St Oswald's, said: "It is wonderful that Ossie's Kitchen has been nominated for the King's Award, recognising a service carried out by the community, for the community, that puts St Oswald's Church at the heart of its people.

"It is an honour and an encouragement for all those involved in the project."

The project has a pool of more than 50 volunteers to call on to help with cooking, serving, looking after the guests and, of course, washing up!

On hearing the news, Professor Paula Holt, MBE, Deputy Lord-Lieutenant for Derbyshire, wrote to the project.

She said: "Please accept my congratulations on this notable achievement, which reflects the esteem of your local community for the work you and your group do.”

Ossie's Kitchen opened in 2019.

Everyone is welcome to go along to the bi-monthly meals; the kitchen welcomes donations but realises that not everyone in the community is in a position to give one.

Anne Ford said: "The guests who come along soon become good friends and look out for each other when they arrive.

"Some of them get very little opportunity to socialise with others, apart from at Ossie's Kitchen.

"It's amazing to see the friendships develop and the meals have led to the creation of a rapidly growing community.

"Meal times at St Oswald's are now quite noisy because of so many people chattering, sharing stories and forming bonds!"

The nomination will now be assessed by the Lord-Lieutenant's office and then nationally, before the winners are announced later this year.

Community kitchen nominated for King's award