Beurs and Lackeens- Then and now cooking through the years
Traveller Traditions cookbook and stories promoting literacy among Traveller women.
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“I cooked at home with my children and it was great to see them getting involved with measuring and cooking and tasting different foods. It was meant to be a three month long project, but it has now turned into a lifelong friendship with the group.”-Learner
Women from the Laois Traveller Action Group (LTAG) launched Beurs and Lackeens – Then and Now: Cooking Through the Years. This project celebrated Traveller heritage, culture, and community through cooking classes.
Many participants were long-time members of the LTAG. The project used food to strengthen community bonds and to develop literacy, numeracy, and digital skills.
Learners revived, adapted, and documented traditional recipes. This boosted their confidence in learning and in life. They used digital tools like WhatsApp and PDFs to build their digital literacy skills as well.
Weekly sessions became spaces for shared learning, peer support, and creativity. Participants remembered life on the roadside, where fireside meals brought families together.
The project ended with the publication of a Traveller traditions cookbook. It reflects Traveller culture with pride, bringing joy to children in schools and inspiring other community projects across Ireland.
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This project was a collaboration between Laois Traveller Action Group and LOETB community education.
For more information about this project, please contact Tamara Latham, Regional Literacy Coordinator in Laois Offaly ETB, at tlatham@loetb.ie
The Adult Literacy for Life Collaboration and Innovation Fund
The Collaboration and Innovation Fund supports projects for adults with unmet literacy, numeracy and digital literacy needs and projects that support organisations to be literacy friendly. The closing date for 2024 applications has now passed but keep an eye out for information on our 2025 fund which will be launched in December.
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