Friends of Fun Food was born out of a growing concern about unhealthy eating habits with more people than ever eating fast food and too few fresh fruit and vegetables. Our research tells us that costs, lack of knowledge, lack of interest in cooking and low levels of cooking confidence are major barriers. Our project is all about stimulating new found interest in food. The project is broad-based, but our primary focus is in supporting disadvantaged and low-income individuals and families and in providing guidance in cooking nutritious meals on a budget. “Let the adventure begin…”
“The cookery sessions really helped my family. My daughter has struggled with eating and illness since she was little so it’s been really good seeing her trying new foods”
Funding and Partnerships
Our project is all about putting the fun back into food – broadening experience, gaining skills and confidence – and in people supporting one another in cooking together. We are proud to have worked with some influential local stakeholders who share our concern and desire to see our relationship with food change for the better.
The project was originally funded by popular demand through People’s Millions. It then went on to receive National Lottery funding support until November 2019. The success of our work has led us to develop several exiting new partnership initiatives which have needed to be put on hold as a consequence of the pandemic.
How it works
Following the completion of our highly successful lottery funded initiative, we continued our work with a range of organisations who share our concern to address poverty of food skills, knowledge and interest which holds back so many of all ages. We continued to support delivery of a project with ‘Rock It Bolton’ – providing a range of food and music orientated activities which nurture confidence, skills and creativity in young people including young teens within the care system.
We organised a healthy lifestyles food event for young people with additional needs, with free cinema tickets for all those that participated. We also ran a winter activities programme with cooking demonstrations targeting vulnerable families and young people.
Outcomes
Over the past year, a total of 1,226 individuals were engaged and supported through Friends of Fun Food.
With the benefit of a grant from Sainsbury’s our Friends of Fun Food project helped a total of 626 people access food, skills advice and support. By providing cooking experiences and demonstrations in a socially interactive and stimulating way, participants gained new experiences, insights and tolls to effect lifestyle changes for themselves.
We also provided pop-up interactive food demonstrations in Moss Bank Park as part of our 2021 summer lunches programme. This was supported and funded by Bolton Council through a Holiday Activity Fund grant. Over 600 individual young people signed into the 30 sessions that were available.
