This was our second cohort of families to complete the programme, delivered in partnership with Inn Churches. From the very first week, there was excitement and enthusiasm as families began their journey, with healthy omelettes first on the menu. As the weeks progressed, more families joined, with children taking an active role in preparing meals, including fajitas and homemade beef burgers.

Throughout the course, families explored healthy nutrition, budgeting, food preparation, and the importance of cooking and eating together. Children learned about ingredients, seasoning, and safe cooking, while parents and children built confidence in the kitchen side by side.

The course finished with a special final session at Darley Street Market, where families were given a £20 budget to choose ingredients for healthy meals before celebrating together and cooking pizza.

Even after the course ended, families continued using their new skills at home, sharing photos with us of healthy meals they had cooked together using ingredients bought from the market.

Our Community Activator, David Wilson, reflected:

“Our ‘Jamie’s Ministry of Food’ course has been a real breakdown in barriers between the local school and the community. Our ability to connect with parents and the children has been fantastic, allowing us to support the families with incredible help from Inn Churches. The families and children have been inspired by what they have learnt about healthy nutrition, budgeting, and the importance of cooking and sitting down to eat together each day. Families have now replicated this as home on a weekly basis, choosing to intentionally spend time together making food.”

A huge thank you to Soraya, Julie, and Blanca from Inn Churches for creating such a fun, welcoming, and impactful experience for all the families involved.