Town holds its first community cook-off event

Residents and local policing teams have come together for a Berkshire town's first community cook-off.

Inspired by a project launched in London following the Grenfell Tower disaster in 2017, the charity event in Reading, was intended to bring people together through food, connection and shared experiences.

The idea became reality on Saturday, thanks to PC Charlotte Wall from the Met Police, PCSO Cath and Lisa from the Whitley Community Development Association, said the organisers.

Held at at the South Reading Community Hub in Whitley, they said everyone involved "had a great day, albeit a little wet".

PC Wall became heavily involved in community outreach and support initiatives following the fire which destroyed Grenfell Tower in London's Notting Dale, where she was a ward officer.

She said she had realised "large numbers of the community didn't trust the local services" and that they felt it had not been easy to access available help.

It prompted her to launch the Community Cook Off project to try to "bring everyone together by food", with the first event taking place in 2018, she said.

On its website, the Community Cook Off said each year, it brings teams together to share their culinary skills while raising funds for "truly commendable causes".

In a post on Facebook, the Thames Valley Police (TVP) Reading team said: "A huge thank you to Charlotte for bringing this inspiring event to Whitley. We hope this will become an annual tradition!"

It said: "After first discussing the idea over a year ago, PCSO Cath, PC Charlotte Wall from the Met Police, and Lisa from WCDA worked together to bring this fantastic initiative to Whitley.

"The event celebrates inclusivity, partnership and community spirit, with teams coming together to create dishes using ingredients provided from a shared larder."