A group of kind-hearted people who whip up home cooked meals for their elderly neighbours have been praised.

The Casserole Club, run by The Barnet Group, has gone from strength to strength since it was launched in July 2013.

More than 250 community cooks from the borough have shared 350 meals with an older person in the past year.

For the people who benefit from the scheme, it is more than just a home cooked meal - it gives them a chance to meet people from across the community.

One example of how Casserole Club is making a positive difference to people’s life are Vijaya and Tom, who live in Barnet.

Tom enjoys the company as well as a home cooked meal. He said: “I rather like it. It’s just somebody to come over. It’s nice, just what I wanted.”

The club was previously piloted by FutureGov, a company that works with local government to develop creative new services for councils, and was launched in Barnet in partnership with Barnet Homes and Barnet Borough Council.

Ingrid Karikari, project lead for Casserole Club, added: “I grew up in Barnet, so reaching 350 meals shared across the Barnet area is a fantastic achievement and shows the generosity of the people here.

“The area has real community feel as shown by the great take up of Casserole Club, with people generally cooking about once a week.”

“If you live in Barnet and would like to cook for someone who lives locally, please sign up at www.casseroleclub.com.

"Alternatively, if you know someone who would benefit from a home cooked meal, such as an elderly neighbour, please email hello@casseroleclub.com."