Refugee Community Kitchen

Food charity benefits from Gloucestershire cheese rolling race winner’s prize

Ava Sender Logan won the woman’s race in the annual Gloucestershire cheese rolling event. By Lynn Rusk, first published in the Evening Standard 5.5.25

The winning Double Gloucester was used by volunteers at Refugee Community Kitchen to prepare a meal (Lynn Rusk/PA)

The winner of an annual cheese rolling race in Gloucestershire has donated her prize to a food charity in London.

Ava Sender Logan, 20, who won the women’s race by tumbling down Cooper’s Hill in Brockworth last month, was racing for Refugee Community Kitchen, which supports displaced people in northern France and homeless people in London and Edinburgh.

The biochemistry student beat 25 other female contestants to win an 8lb (3kg) wheel of Double Gloucester, a semi-hard cheese renowned for its strong and savoury flavour.

Ava Sender Logan won the women’s race at the Gloucestershire cheese rolling event (Issac Tartaglia/PA)

Miss Sender Logan, who volunteers for Refugee Community Kitchen, said it was a “full circle moment” to see the winning cheese being used to help feed rough sleepers in north London.

Miss Sender Logan told the PA news agency: “It’s a full-circle moment. It’s really sweet. The cheese has travelled from Gloucestershire to Oxford to London to the kitchen.

“The cheese is delicious, so I’m really happy people can try it.”

Miss Sender Logan, who was a first-time competitor in the annual daredevil competition, said she was stunned when she won.

“I was trying to hold my head, stay on my feet as much as I could, but there’s only so much you can do,” she said.

“I was bruised, I was battered but there were no broken bones.”

Refugee Community Kitchen distributes hundreds of meals a week and has won a number of prestigious awards, including the Observer Food Monthly’s outstanding achievement award.

The charity, which was set up by four friends in 2015, has been serving “nutritious food without judgment” to those fleeing war, poverty, persecution and climate change for a decade.

Ava Sender Logan preparing her winning cheese at Refugee Community Kitchen in London (Sam Jones/PA)

Co-founder Sam Jones said: “It’s a really nice kind of full circle to have the cheese that rolled down the hill, the Double Gloucester that’s going into a cauliflower and broccoli cheese that’s going out to the street today.

“We’ve got about 85 to 90 people that will be scoffing that up in Archway in north London.

“It really fills us full of joy and satisfaction to be able to do that. We’re deeply indebted to Ava for putting her life and limbs on the line to get the cheese.”

Mr Jones said he hopes Miss Sender Logan’s support will help raise awareness of the work the charity does.

“We’ve served four and a half million meals in London and in Calais over the last 10 years, so we’re just really chuffed to have people on board to do this amazing fundraising and to raise awareness of our charity,” he said.

The Gloucestershire cheese-rolling race has been celebrated for centuries and is thought to have its roots in a heathen festival to celebrate the return of spring.

This year, there were seven races in all, two of them in memory of former cheese rolling winners who have since died.

You can donate to Miss Sender Logan’s fundraiser here.

URGENT Winter Appeal

As temperatures plummet, people on the move face unimaginable challenges. Living in freezing conditions with compromised immune systems, they urgently need warm, nutritious meals to sustain them.

At RCK, our volunteers are working tirelessly to provide hot, nourishing food to those in desperate need, but we can’t do it alone. Your support is critical to helping us keep our kitchens running this winter.

Please donate to our Winter Fundraiser today, for just the price of a cup of coffee you can provide 2 hot meals today.

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International Migrants Day

Today is International Migrants Day

RCK stands in solidarity with migrants worldwide and remains dedicated to supporting those enduring extreme hardship in Northern France. Every day, thousands of people—many fleeing war, persecution, and poverty—are forced to live in makeshift camps, facing malnutrition, harsh conditions worsened by the winter cold, and relentless disruptions from French authorities.

We remain committed to providing hot, nutritious meals to those who need them most. Food is more than nourishment – it’s dignity, connection, and care.

On this day, we recognise the strength, resilience, and humanity of all migrants. We stand with you.

If you’d like to support our work and show solidarity, please see the link below nto donate to our winter fundraiser, or volunteer your time in one of our kitchens.

Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP and Jeremy Corbyn's visit to RCK in Calais

“I visited grassroots volunteers from Calais Appeal last Friday with Jeremy Corbyn MP to see their work supporting refugees. Seeing the situation first-hand only strengthens my conviction to keep fighting for a system that centres compassion & humanity. Thank you for all you do.” Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP

Thank you for coming! Having you both visit gave the volunteers a much needed boost and thee show of solidarity gave us affirmation that our work is being supported by at least some of our representatives in government. Let's hope that through you visiting people change the way they view the situation and stand up too .Come again any time!

Winter Fundraising

HNY 2023 from RCK

Please share our winter fundraising campaign https://bit.ly/3WDrvk6

Everyday amazing volunteers work if difficult conditions to serve healthy, nutritious warm food to people living in desperate and inhumane conditions in Northern France and to huge numbers of people facing food poverty and homelessness in 6 locations on the streets of London.

Your donations and support help us keep the kitchens going as well as helping us support other organisations giving essential services in Northern France and local community groups, schools, warm rooms and food banks in London.

We are committed to giving people good food that we would share at our own tables at home always made with love and served with dignity.

Thank you from everyone at RCK

7 years ago today...

7 years ago today, we served our first service in Calais, Northern France and after providing over 3.5 million nourishing meals here & in the UK we look back and reflect on our principles and values.

This pertinent short film encapsulates so much of what drives us, guides us and holds us close in hard times and in happy times.

We have so much gratitude for the many thousands of hands and hearts that have come together to make this possible.

Sadly we need you more than ever, please come and join the community and help carry on this important work.

Together we are Stronger