A religious temple has won a grant of £6,500 from The National Lottery to produce a cookbook and tackle elderly loneliness.

Medway Hindu Mandir based in Canterbury Street, Gillingham will use the money to create recipes that explore Indian cooking that is healthier and kinder to the environment.

General secretary for the mandir, Ajay Attra, said: “Having worked closely with the local NHS trust, we are aware that people from the Asian subcontinent typically suffer from heart disease and diabetes which are intrinsically linked to diet.

"The South Asian diet is rich in nature and as a community we would like to explore new avenues in the preparation of age old heritage cuisine.”

As well as nodding to traditional Indian cooking, the recipes will be influenced by typical vegetarian diets followed by Hindus, and recent trends in following plant-based lifestyles.

The project, named Annapurna, will see members of the community rally together as they create, brand and market the cookbook.

The idea was formed in response to the isolation of elderly women who had been shielding during the pandemic and will focus on their cooking expertise.

The ladies will work together to devise new age recipes for the book whilst collaborating with newer generations to promote it.

The mandir will also make changes and additions to their kitchen and community hall to open a new cafe.

Ajay added: “This will enage both younger and older members of the community, giving young people a safe place to visit and attempt to eradicate social exclusion of the elderly.

“Our management has a representative from the Medway Hindu Mandir Youth Group and Medway Hindu Mandir Women’s Group who meet seperately on accute issues which are fed back to the main committee.

“It is these groups that we would like to empower further with the Annapurna Project – this could be a legacy project which can be carried through time”