SaSh

Salaam Shalom Kitchen

Salaam Shalom Kitchen Nottingham

A joint Muslim / Jewish charity project

We are a joint Muslim/Jewish project founded on the belief that working together across communities and perceived boundaries helps build community cohesion and break down barriers.

Serving hot meals to those in need

We serve 50-70 hot meals every Wednesday night between 5.30- 7.30pm, to those in need in Hyson Green, Nottingham from the Bridge Centre on Gregory Boulevard.

Our weekly guests are a diverse group of individuals: some are experiencing food poverty or loneliness. Some may be experiencing homelessness, mental health issues or substance misuse; we also serve meals to refugees and asylum seekers as well as those with low-income or benefits issues. While most are adults, we also regularly have families with children attending.

We collaborate and receive referrals from local agencies, including Framework, the Nottingham Refugee Forum, POW, Arimethea Trust and local GPs. However, many people come to us through word of mouth and everyone is welcome.

We do not ask for any information from our guests when they arrive and there is no charge for food, but donations are welcomed from those who are able.

SaSh offers a friendly environment, a hot meal and company, often accompanied by musical entertainment and sometimes talks. In addition to serving meals on-site, we also give away any leftover food in takeaway boxes.

Who we are

The steering group and trustees of Salaam Shalom Kitchen are predominantly from the Muslim and Jewish Communities but this is not a requirement for being involved. We are pleased to welcome anyone who wishes to get involved.

Sajid Mohammed

Co-chair

Information coming soon...

Karen Worth

Co-chair & treasurer

I have worked as a member of the steering group at SaSh since it started and am proud and pleased of our achievements. I became been co-chair of the project in 2016. I am an active member of Nottingham Liberal Synagogue, and I work full time and have 2 children, so I’m quite busy. I do a lot of the ‘behind the scenes’ work for SaSh, and don’t get down to the project as often as I’d like, but love it when I do. Being involved with SaSh is a way for me to undertake Tikkun Olam – the Jewish commandment to heal the world. I love that I have made new friends through SaSh, and make a small but important difference in the world.

Ferzana Shan

Steering Group

I have been a steering group member of SaSh for 2+ yrs. I am also Vice Chair of Himmah. I wear a number of hats. I work for the Civil Service as a Training Manager and on weekends as a presenter at a local Muslim radio station. By being involved in SaSh, I am able to play my part in helping to take care of those in need in our locality.

Eve Cina

Steering Group

I have been involved with SaSh for 2+ years, initially helping to serve food, socialise with guests and wash up. Since retiring from work, two years ago I've been delighted to be able to play a more active role: on the steering group, as a trustee and " hosting" at SaSh about once a month. I also represent SaSh at the Nottingham food poverty group. I am a secular Jew for whom being Jewish has always expressed itself in political action, to challenge discrimination and oppression and try to create a fairer and more equal society. SaSh is a great way for me to put these principles into practice, whilst making new friends and learning more about Nottingham’s diverse communities.

Andrea Chipman

Steering Group

I have been an occasional volunteer at SaSh for the past couple of years, along with my two sons, and have been a member of the steering committee since September 2017. I am now the main contact between SaSH and Fair Share, which has arranged for us to receive additional food donations, form supermarkets. I grew up in a secular Jewish American family that identified with the political and social values of Judaism, and I am a member of the Nottingham Liberal Synagogue. I work as a freelance healthcare journalist. I enjoy meeting other volunteers and guests at SaSH, who come from such a wide variety of backgrounds.

Mumtaz Baig

Steering Group

I have been involved with SaSh as an occasional volunteer for over 2 years and am delighted to have recently become a member of the steering group. One of my roles is to liaise with local restaurants, who volunteer to cook for SaSh periodically, and to forge links with new restaurants, encouraging them to get involved. At SaSh itself, as well as occasionally ‘hosting’ the evening, I do enjoy serving food with other volunteers and talking to the guests in an environment which is spirited and friendly and that has an incredibly positive vibe. I am a hospital pharmacist and have 3 children in secondary school. They have all volunteered at SaSh and seen the benefits of taking part in charitable work which is integral to our Islamic values. I am completely inspired by the positivity that SaSh generates; in breaking down barriers and bringing diverse groups of people of different backgrounds and faiths together to help the vulnerable in the local community.

Tali Scott

Kitchen and Volunteer co-ordinator (paid role)

I was born and raised in Israel. I love cooking and feeding people, which makes people feel happy. I love the Salaam Shalom Kitchen as it brings together different communities. My job is to welcome new volunteers, and get them involved by chopping vegetables, washing up and serving our guests in a calm and friendly atmosphere. When not at SaSh, I work as a cook and run my own catering business selling traditional Middle Eastern falafels.

Volunteering at SaSh Kitchen

Our ethos is to bring together volunteers from many communities, to make friends and work for social change. We have a wide range of people who volunteer at the project offering a few hours of their time to help. Volunteers may be interested individuals or from organisations.

We are delighted to be supported once a month by members of the Catholic community of St. Barnabus Cathedral, who cook food off site and bring it and serve and clear up.

We also receive support from Nottingham Liberal Synagogue, Nottingham Trent University and Nottingham University students, and various Muslim organisations, including the Pakistan Forum, Pakistan Centre, An Nisa Network, Al Zahra Institute. Other organisations that have volunteered or hosted evenings at SaSh include: The Pagan Society, Rothera Sharp Solicitors, Rebel Recruitment, The Vine Centre, Al Ahmadiyya Community, Elmswood GP surgery and the Malaysian Society. We have several local restaurants who very kindly regularly provide delicious cooked food for free to support us. We gratefully thank Chappati Junction and Khyber pass, Chaudhury catering, Madni Sweets, Royal Sweets.

We welcome individual volunteers from the student population and the wider community. We are able to accommodate one or two young people at a time who are working towards their Duke of Edinburgh Awards, but please be aware under 16’s are not allowed in the kitchen. We are open between 4 and 8 pm 50 weeks a year and we need volunteers to help prepare and serve food and hot drinks, chat to our guests and to help with clean-up.

Offering a few hours of your time once or twice a month would help us a lot, and is an opportunity to make new friends and do something significant and useful. If you are interested in volunteering, or if you want more information, please contact us.

Awards & Recognition

The Salaam Shalom Kitchen was a joint idea and initiative started by Nottingham Liberal Synagogue and Himmah, a Nottingham based Muslim charity. It was initially started with a grant from ‘Near Neighbours’ in 2015. Since then we have relied on small donations from local people and organisations. We became a registered charity in 2016. We were delighted in 2017 to be awarded a grant from National Lottery ‘Awards for All’. We continue to look for further funding options to ensure the long-term continuation of the project.

In 2017 we were recognised nationally when we won the Mitzvah Day: 365 Award. Some of our team travelled to London for the awards ceremony, knowing we had been shortlisted and were delighted and honoured when we won.

Mitzvah day is a Jewish run charity that supports organisations to undertake social action. Every year there is a big push for one day of social action; encouraging people of all faiths and backgrounds to take part. However the ethos is to continue worthwhile social action all year round.

SaSh was awarded the 365 award: “For the community or organisation that impresses with social action and or building relationships all year round”. We had big competition from other excellent projects, so were really delighted to be honoured and recognized for the work we do.