Richard is a devoted father to three young children, all of whom were in primary school when he tragically lost his wife in early 2021. Her sudden passing left the family reeling. Not only were Richard and the children navigating immense grief, but their entire family structure was turned upside down overnight.
Until that point, Richard had worked long hours while his wife had been a full-time caregiver, managing the home and their children. After her death, Richard found himself responsible for everything she had once done, without the experience or support to manage it. Between funeral arrangements, legal responsibilities, reduced income, and daily life with grieving children, Richard was overwhelmed, isolated, and exhausted. With most of their extended family overseas and few local friends, the isolation was only worsened by pandemic lockdowns, he was facing it all alone.
Initially referred to us by a partner school, we began supporting the family with emergency food parcels when they reached a point of severe hardship. As the school learned more about Richard’s daily struggles, particularly around cooking and caring for the children, they referred him to our community cookery sessions.
Before joining the programme, Richard’s experience with cooking was extremely limited. He mostly relied on frozen food or very basic dinners that weren’t particularly nutritious, and the children didn’t enjoy them. This only added to the strain of an already incredibly difficult situation.
Richard joined our cookery programme and, over several weeks, began learning new skills that would help him feel more confident and capable at home. He learned how to plan meals on a budget, create shopping lists, use seasonal ingredients to save money, and cook nutritious, balanced meals his children enjoyed. Slowly but surely, his confidence and abilities grew.
One of the programme’s less-anticipated benefits was the friendships and advice Richard gained from the TMDF Team, led by Teresa McCarthy-Dixon, who in addition to her leadership, is also a qualified chef. Many of the volunteer cookery team were parents themselves and, during the informal sessions, Richard began seeking their guidance. He’d often ask for advice about his eldest daughter who was approaching secondary school, or tips on how to manage housework, things he had never needed to do before, but was now tackling alone.
While the family’s loss is something they will carry with them forever, Richard now feels better equipped to support his children through their grief and growth. With new cooking and budgeting skills under his belt, he’s able to provide the healthy meals they need, regain some control over daily life, and give his children the consistency and care they deserve.
Do you or someone you know need help and support to get through a difficult time? We know that asking for help is not easy, just complete our contact form and we’ll be in touch with more on how we can help.
The McCarthy-Dixon Foundation
67 Grove Rd
Northampton
NN1 3LJ
Registered Charity Number: 1190255
