With food being at the forefront of the holiday activity and food programme (HAF), this summer, Essex ActivAte encouraged clubs to focus on food education every Friday, whether that be creating or baking a recipe, trying new foods, or carrying out a food activity that supported a healthy lifestyle.
A recent partnership has been developed between Jamie Oliver’s Ministry of Food (MOF) programme and Essex ActivAte, helping to support more than 300 children this summer through the delivery of food education alongside the HAF programme, as well as further educate delivery partners to ensure children receive a nutritious, tasty meal when attending HAF clubs.
Conversations resulted in the MOF team training a handful of delivery partners ahead of the summer programme to educate them on how to prepare and deliver healthy meals. Providers could then take this information and further educate families of children who attend HAF clubs across the county.
In May this year, six selected partners started their training with MOF, with two online sessions, followed by an intensive three-day training course in June at Braxted Park. Partners loved the training and found it extremely informative, learning a wide range of new cooking and kitchen skills, also how to cook healthy recipes on a budget.
A HAF partner from Tendring who took part in the training told us: “Good food is really important because some of the children don’t get the nutrition at home that they need, and it makes sure that whilst they’re with us, they’re always getting a good, free, nutritious meal!”
Watch HAF partners take part in MOF training here.
The successful development of the relationship between Essex ActivAte and MOF recently enabled Cheryl, who leads on North Essex and the food education element for HAF, to be invited to Jamie Oliver’s HQ in Holloway London. Cheryl took part in a panel of three to discuss Jamie Oliver’s social impact report, which was hosted by celebrity chef, Max La Manna, to an audience of fifty people from MOF.
During the summer, the MOF team visited an Essex ActivAte club, KidzActive in Uttlesford, to host a cooking session with 20 children and young people. All of the children had a fantastic time and learnt new cooking skills, and they also received signed recipe books from Jamie Oliver himself!
Neil O’Sullivan, one of the HAF providers who took part in the MOF training and runs KidzActive tells us: “Completing Jamie Oliver’s Ministry Of Food training has changed our club completely! The children can now go home and cook nutritious recipes, and we are reinstating that lost skill within young people, and it makes us feel so proud and happy!”
Watch a reel posted by Jamie Oliver about the food education day at KidzActive here.
Local press have picked up on all of the action, helping to support local providers by telling their stories and experiences across the news. Read the article by the Clacton and Frinton Gazette here and the Harwich and Manningtree Standard here.
We look forward to the future progression of working with the Ministry Of Food programme and providing further support to our locally trusted organisations and young people through food education.
Find out more about the Essex ActivAte programme here.
