Hakim Group partners with social enterprise to grow produce for its community

Hakim Group has partnered with not-for-profit enterprise Cracking Good Food, which works to eradicate food poverty and increase food sustainability in the Greater Manchester area, to plant seeds and grow local fresh food for people in the local community to access.

Supporting the charity, staff at the independent optical group have donated seeds and gardening tools to assist volunteers in creating a new planting area, designed to fill an empty concrete space outside a storage unit in Hulme.

In addition to growing fresh produce, Cracking Good Food delivers cooking courses and provides information on ways to minimise food waste and our impact on the environment.

Head of communication and project management at Hakim Group, Nick Lowe, said: “Our team at Hakim Group is passionate about making a difference in our local community, particularly through sustainability, so partnering with Cracking Good Food was a really valuable opportunity.”

“The work that the organisation does makes a real impact and we’re really grateful to have helped them achieve this goal and create an area that benefits the environment as well as local people,” he added.

The plants are estimated to go towards feeding around 2000 people through various routes, including a delivery service, catering, and community cooking workshops.

Commenting on the new produce growing area, Cracking Good Food’s Tracey Torley said: “What was once an under-used area of a car park at a storage unit facility has now become a functional space to help provide valuable resources to those who need a helping hand. Not only will this mean we can easily compost any food waste from our cooking activities, but also that we can grow some fresh herbs and salad items to include in our community cooking sessions.”

Hakim Group hopes to continue its efforts to support the work of Cracking Good Food with donations of kitchen utensils, pots and pans later this year.