Meet Martin
February 5, 2025

Martin* is an 50 year old man living in supported living accommodation in Fiddlers Green, a deprived area of Cheltenham. He has access to a shared kitchen and support workers at his accommodation. Martin has difficulties with both his physical and mental health, has type 2 diabetes and suffers with leg ulcers alongside severe depression and anxiety.
In summer 2023, Martin attended Wiggly Charity’s ‘Fuel Good’ course, a 12-week healthy eating cookery course at Oakley Community Resource Centre, Whaddon. Martin had to take two buses to get to the venue, but his attendance was excellent, which is impressive considering his mental health challenges.
When Martin first joined the Wiggly course, he lacked confidence and relied on convenience meals such as microwave burgers and packaged foods for his meals. At his supported living accommodation, main meals are generally prepared for the residents by the support workers. Occasionally the residents are supported to learn how to cook, but Martin had previously struggled to keep up in the group sessions there and said that he felt pressured as he was unable to keep pace.
When Martin attended the Wiggly course, he was given Widgit Easy Read picture recipes to use. Martin lives with dyslexia, but for the first time, he found that he was able to read the recipes in real time, enabling him to keep pace in the kitchens.
Martin said that he felt more comfortable at the Wiggly course than at any other previous cookery course, as the Wiggly staff adjusted the course to match his pace. As the course progressed, he gained in confidence, from making a home-made soup in week one to making fish cakes and turkey burgers as it progressed. By the end of the course, Martin described the Wiggly course as “really good fun”.
12 months later, Martin’s support worker has reported that he is still cooking every Thursday at his living accommodation and really enjoying it, using the Easy Read recipes that Wiggly provided.
As a result of attending the Wiggly course, Martin has said that he feels more confident and is not as tempted to go to the shop for sweets and drinks as it has made him more health conscious and able to cook for himself.
*Name has been changed to preserve anonymity