UCC Enactus - Food for Thought.

Food for Thought Committee 2017/18.

While studying at University College Cork, I joined Enactus, which is a society made for entrepreneurial collaborations. I met Kieran Cunnane and became a part of his creation, a group called Food for Thought. Food For Thought was a mental health initiative that aimed to shed light on mental health issues and to aid those experiencing them. The Food for Thought project allowed students to use food as a catalyst to bring people together. While at food for thought, students were free to discuss their journey with mental illness and to encourage positive mental health practices. We cooked, prepared and ate food together which acted as a catalyst to make friends to bring everyone together. It was a safe space away from the stresses of college and the pressures of college nightlife for students to bond and make friends.

The chef and I preparing a main course.

A local chef volunteered to help watch over us during the cooking practices and taught us may tips and tricks to become better at cooking. During my time at Food for Thought, I helped to organise events while also posting on the Facebook page weekly. It was a really nice project where for a full year we helped to fight the stigma of mental health issues and create lifelong friendships. Thank you to Cork Penny Dinners for their kindness and sharing their kitchen and dining area with us during this time and for all of the advice they gave to young people who attended the events. Food for Thought was such a success and to this day it's one of the projects I am most proud to have been a part of, and some of my best memories of college are during my time taking part. All photos taken by Ali McCarthy.

Click here to see Food for Thought's Facebook Page