Established in 1994 by a diverse group of artists, The Art House places equality of access and higher diversity in contemporary visual arts practice at the core of all their programmes.

They are an Arts Council NPO, welcoming all artists and audiences to engage with the creative process. They offer a year-round programme of residencies, exhibitions, events, workshops, and professional development opportunities.

They also manage more than 50 accessible studios, hosting a wide variety of makers and creative businesses. You’ll even find accessible accommodation on-site, a shop, a café, along with exhibition spaces as well as meetings and events rooms.

The Art House worked with us on our third cookbook, Secret Dishes From Around the World 3. They commissioned a fantastic group of artists to create a mixed-media artwork for the project.

Another charitable enterprise confronting food insecurity in Wakefield is the Wakefield Community Awareness Program (CAP), based in the city centre on Market Street. The CAP is accessible to anyone struggling to make ends meet, offering a place of sanctuary for the homeless and the disadvantaged and supplying those in need with free hot meals and essential household items. As a small-scale enterprise, the CAP relies on donations and runs a program known as the ‘100 Club’ to encourage regular donations across the year. Through these donations, CAP is able to feed approximately eighty people every day, and assists over 850 clients annually. In 2021, CAP served over nineteen thousand hot meals to its clients, and runs a hamper appeal every December to supply families with the food they need during the holiday season.

We also admire the work of Wakefield District Sight Aid, which offers guidance and support to those struggling with blindness all across Wakefield. General information and support is available through the organisation’s phoneline and in person at Sight Aid’s office on Peterson Road, which includes a Reading Hub with the necessary services for reading helpful leaflets and documents. Specialist equipment can be ordered through the organisation, including talking clocks, large print diaries and big button telephones. Home visits can be arranged for those requiring advice on the use of certain equipment as well as those in need of help with everyday tasks such as cooking, shopping and using technology. The organisation also runs regular advice days and community coffee mornings to raise awareness of sight loss in Wakefield.

Our Community Cookery School team visited Wakefield as part of the Secret Dishes From Around the World book tour in 2021. Whilst we were there, we spoke to Jo Cottam and Diana Ellis; group leaders of Inspire Arts, who share the positive influences their group has on the local community. You can listen to the interviews on our Share Your Secrets podcast, which is available for free via Spotify, Google and Apple!