We aim to work with English language learners to recognise, celebrate and develop their existing rich skills and knowledge, so they can communicate confidently and live fulfilling lives.
We do this by supporting people learning English to flourish in their local communities and forge connections by developing English language and communication skills through the medium of food… mainly dumplings!
Heart & Parcel was founded in Manchester, England in 2015 by Clare Courtney and Karolina Koścień, two friends with a love of food and the connections and relationships surrounding it.
Initially Heart & Parcel aimed to support Women from ethnic minority communities. You can read why we made this decision in 2015 here. As of March 2020, this has now widened to include all people learning English who would benefit from our unique provision: developing English language (ESOL) and communication skills by coming together to cook dishes from around the world, sharing recipes, stories, experiences and connections along the way.
In addition to regular classes, we have run fundraising public food events such as supper clubs, markets, catering, private workshops and online sessions as learning networking platforms for our participants to connect and practise their skills developed from our unique sessions. We raise awareness of the need for providing recognition, language, learning and community for English language learners in the UK through our self-published collaborative cookbook working with participants to share recipes and stories from their communities, cultures and lives.
Our work is rooted deeply in research surrounding ESOL, English language provision, policy, migration, identity and arts-based practices. We attend a number of conferences, presentations and discussions to share best practices in our work.
Co No. 12360776