As part of its ongoing support for the Government’s Holiday Activities and Food programme (HAF), Chartwells, the UK’s leading school and education catering company, has supported 2,800 families this summer with free interactive cooking and nutrition workshops, almost doubling the reach of its programme compared to last year.
Delivered as part of its Beyond the Chartwells Kitchen programme, the sessions were held at community centres across 22 regions, including Sussex, Liverpool and Durham. Primary school pupils and their families learnt how to cook affordable, nutritious recipes, with the aim of helping improve local children’s food education and providing them with a safe environment to socialise during the holidays.
Pupils at the Sussex workshops put their cooking skills to the test by making: fruit kebabs; rainbow wraps with vegetables, chickpeas and cheese; and energy balls made from oats, cocoa and raisins. They also got creative by blending their own smoothies using Chartwells’ smoothie bike – a pedal-operated blender connected to a stationary bicycle that allows children to choose their fruit, jump on the bike and blend their own healthy treat.
Meanwhile, families attending sessions at Liverpool’s New Hutte Community Centre in collaboration with Torrington Drive Community Association, a charity supporting underrepresented groups in the local community, learnt how to make tasty family favourites including barbecue chicken, curry and pasta meals.
Additionally, Chartwells tailored its outreach to teenagers in Newcastle throughout a specialised summer programme in collaboration with Northumbria University. Known as HAF Plus, the sessions saw almost 100 young people take part in sports, wellbeing activities, CV building workshops and more, supported by a healthy breakfast from Chartwells and cooking and baking sessions to develop cooking skills and nutritional knowledge.
Chartwells is committed to providing young people with delicious, nutritious meals and food education both during and out of term time and has supported HAF projects since 2018. The leading catering company plans to continue extending its reach during term time as well as during school holidays in order to provide more support for families in the communities they work in.
Georgi Avery, Senior Nutritionist at Chartwells, said: “We understand that the school holidays often add further pressure on families, so ensuring they have resources available to support their physical and mental wellbeing is vital. Working closely with our industry partners, it’s been fantastic to nearly double our HAF engagement during this summer’s school holidays compared to 2023.
“By continuing to work with local schools and community groups, we’re determined to keep boosting our outreach and educating young people in fun, interactive ways on the importance of eating healthy and nutritious meals, both inside school and outside of term time.”
Professor Greta Defeyter, Director of the Healthy Living Lab at Northumbria University, said: “It was a pleasure to work in partnership with Chartwells to deliver hands-on cooking sessions to nearly 100 young people during HAF Plus at Northumbria University. Our HAF and HAF Plus research shows that age appropriate, experiential learning is the most effective way for children and young people to gain the necessary knowledge and skills to prepare and cook nutritious meals.
“These cooking sessions provide an excellent example of how universities, private catering companies, community groups, and young people can work together to drive positive health and wellbeing outcomes for children and young people.”
Following a workshop in Liverpool, Gary See, Chief Operating Officer at Torrington Drive Community Association, said: “We’re committed to supporting families in our local community and know that for many, the summer holidays can bring significant pressures. The support Chartwells provides during the school holidays is incredibly valuable and has a tangible positive impact within our community. It’s been fantastic to see children engage with the food they eat, experience new tastes and textures and learn more about the importance of nutritious meals, in a fun and interactive way. The activity has definitely started families on a journey towards healthier cooking and we can’t wait to work with Chartwells again to run more sessions in the near future.”
