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The cooking class helping women learn English

Sumaiya MotaraNorth West, Preston
News imageBBC Denisa Theodorescu stands in front of a window in a kitchen in chef's whites with a black apron over the top. She has thick, wavy dark hair and is smilingBBC
Denisa Theodorescu says the classes have been "the best way to improve my English"

A woman from Romania who moved to Lancashire 10 years ago said a local cooking class has been the key to helping her learn English.

Sanctuary Cookalongs, a Preston-based organisation aiming to upskill women whose first language is not English through food-based workshops, started their most recent round of weekly cooking classes at the Foxton Centre.

Denisa Theodorescu, 43, joined the group four years ago and said the classes had been "the best way to improve my English".

The professional baker said the group helped her to learn how to cook dishes from different countries and also develop her own teaching skills.

News imageDenisa Theodorescu stands in a kitchen in chef's whites with a black apron over the top. She has thick, wavy dark hair and is holding a bottle of oil as a woman in a black headscarf holds a metal bowl next to some bread on a tray. They are watched by another woman in a black long-sleeved top and black and beige striped headscarf
Sanctuary Cookalongs hold weekly cooking classes at the Foxton Centre in Preston

The classes encourage women from countries like Iran, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Turkey to teach each other how to cook their traditional dishes, removing the formality from learning a new language.

One of the women learning how to make filo pastry with Denisa's guidance was Halima, who moved to Preston from Algeria five years ago.

"I feel very happy to be here," Halima said.

Halima praised the group for the opportunity to make new friends from different cultures in Preston and learn English.

"I learn many things here… we teach each other how to make different dishes," she said.

Another of the women, filling filo pastry with pumpkin and cheese under Denisa's watchful eye, was Abida Kabir, 68, who said the women were "like a family".

"We eat together, and everyone has the chance to cook, meet our friends, socialise, and laugh," said Abida, who moved to Preston from Pakistan more than 40 years ago.

News imageHead and shoulders of Jen Rankin standing smiling in a dining room. She has long dark wavy hair and glasses and is wearing a beige scarf round her hair and a blue jumper and long square earrings in a woven blue , yellow and red pattern
The group was set up by Jen Rankin to encourage underrepresented women to settle into the Preston community

The group was set up in 2021 by Jen Rankin, who said its aims were to encourage underrepresented women to upskill, take care of their health, and settle into the Preston community.

"Through cooking, they're sharing their skills while developing their English language skills, and therefore their confidence," said Jen.

After attending a few sessions, the women are then encouraged to facilitate their own classes, as well as taking counselling or English teaching classes to "offer their skills to support the community", she said.

Jen said it was about "inspiring people, valuing people for their skills, and building a network across communities".

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