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Celebrating Bolton's newest chefs: 'Kidz 2 Cookz' fosters youngsters’ life skills
On Thursday 18 April, our New Bury UCAN Centre was host to the final session of the successful 'Kidz 2 Cookz' project, where 30 enthusiastic pupils from St James CE Primary School (in Farnworth) realised their potential as outstanding young cooks.
In celebration of the project's success and impact, the last session saw children prepare meals for their families (pictured below).
‘Kidz 2 Cookz’ was delivered by the New Bury Vision community group (with funding support from Bolton at Home and Onward Homes) and fuelled by one core purpose: to equip and inspire local children to prepare their very own dishes using common home ingredients.
As the project unfolded, our young chefs delved into the art of cooking, preparing several diverse dishes such as chilli con carne, spaghetti bolognese, and pizza (pictured), and fostering the importance of home food preparation and healthy eating from a young age.
But the project's impact went well beyond the 30 budding chefs that participated, resonating with parents/guardians and their families, too.
When asked about the project as it was ongoing, Jed Leck, our UCAN Project Officer, said: "It's been very successful so far. The emphasis is on nutritious food and healthy living, and the feedback we've had has been so positive. Currently we have St James CE Primary School pupils and hopefully we can get other schools involved, too.
"The sessions help to raise confidence among youngsters and even encourage them to help their parents out in the kitchen. And already children are moving away from convenience ingredients to create their own delicious dishes.
"It was fantastic to see the children asking lots of questions. They've been really engaged in the sessions."
Reflecting on the final session on Thursday 18 April, Paul Lowe, our Assistant Director of Customer and Communities said: "I felt very privileged to be included in the final cooking session, which demonstrated the benefit of collaborative working between agencies and our communities.
"I was pleased the children got to show off their creativity to their families and teachers, showcasing how they'd applied their learning.
"It was clear that the project had inspired the children, who had taken a real pride in what they'd achieved. Hopefully they went away feeling aspirational.”
Through initiatives like ‘Kidz 2 Cookz’, the hope is that young minds will be equipped with the tools they need to thrive.
For details on upcoming events at your nearest UCAN centre, please tap the Bolton at Home Communities and UCAN centres Facebook page (www.facebook.com/BoltonatHomeCommunities, opens in a new tab). You’ll also find our UCAN centres’ opening times and addresses at: www.boltonathome.org.uk/ucan.
