Cooking project a recipe for success in communities

 

A team of health and nutrition experts at Leeds Trinity & All Saints have launched an exciting new project designed to create the perfect recipe for promoting community cohesion through cooking.

 

The “Cooking Communities” project, based in Leeds, will offer after school clubs where “cooking champions”, older people recruited locally, will teach practical cooking skills to pupils who will be encouraged to share their new found skills by cooking for their families and neighbours.

 

In the longer term, the project team will develop a toolkit to enable teachers and volunteers to roll out the cookery clubs across the city, and will promote initiatives to bring people together to share food from different cultures and communities.

 

The All Saints Educational Trust, which supports work in nutrition education, is funding the project through its All Saints Saxton Fellowship. Dr Judy Donnelly and Dr Rosie Connell of Leeds Trinity won the fellowship, worth £125,000 over three years, in a highly competitive bidding process.

 

Rosie and Judy were inspired to put in a bid after their pilot scheme “Cool Cooks” drew a positive response from the children involved, who clearly enjoyed cooking and consuming the fruits of their labours. The fellowship has funded the appointment of nutritionist and research fellow, Lisa Gatenby, to expand the original idea.

 

For Lisa, who has worked in the food industry and nutrition education for many years, the project is the perfect opportunity to use her experience to really make a difference to people’s lives.

 

She said, “I first got interested in cooking when I was about 13 and started cooking for my family. I’m thrilled to be working on a project that will bring cooking skills to today’s youngsters and promote healthy eating for life.”

 

The project was officially launched to an invited audience of representatives from local primary care trusts, education services and community groups, whose partnership in the project will be central to its success.

 

Jo Odu, Extended Services Network Leader working in schools in the Meanwood area of Leeds, said, “This exciting project has huge potential and sits very well with our work in extended services, by bringing generations together within communities and filling the gaps in children’s knowledge about ingredients and cooking.”

 

For more information about Cooking Communities, contact Lisa Gatenby on 0113 283 7100 ext 351, or email l.gatenby@leedstrinity.ac.uk