St Willibrord’s Primary School has been singled out for praise after launching a new Let’s Get Cooking club for fathers and sons using money raised by HealthForm through The Health Lottery.
Beating off stiff competition from 19 regional contenders, the club has won the gold Let’s Get Cooking Golden Spoon gong for the using cooking to encourage more dads to play a bigger role in school life and in the wider community. It’s had a particularly powerful impact on Dan Harrison and his stepson Lucas – it’s improved their relationship as well as their health.
Dan said: “The Dads and Lads cooking club has really helped me bond and become a lot closer with my step-son Lucas. I have also recently enrolled on a teaching assistant course and am now an active volunteer at school working with children which is something that I realised I wanted to do thanks to the experience of taking part in the Lets get cooking project.”
Head teacher, Carl McIver, said: “Lets Get Cooking has had a major impact upon our school. It’s encouraged dads to become much more involved with their children, and staff, parents alike have commented upon the positive influence this initiative has had on our school community and the wider impact this has also been able to have.
“We are delighted with the success that Dan and Lucas have had and see this as the beginning of even greater interaction and success with the project.”
The award was presented at the ‘Let’s Get Cooking National Celebration and Golden Spoon Awards’ (held in London on Wednesday 6 February) by keen cook and teaching champion Kate Bellingham, best known for hosting Tomorrow’s World and Children’s ITV programme, the Big Bang.
Rob Rees MBE, Chair of the Children’s Food Trust the national charity that leads the Let’s Get Cooking programme said: “Food is a fantastic way to bring people together. With St Willibrord’s Primary School, we’ve seen first-hand how it can help people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities, improve confidence, build relationships and make new friends.”
Seeing everyone’s confidence grow at St Willibrord’s Primary School’s club and knowing that they’re all taking steps towards a healthier life is exactly what Let’s Get Cooking is all about. What they have achieved in such a short time is outstanding and they truly deserve their place at the top. Congratulations to all and keep on cooking!”
Along with the awards presentation, listening to guest speakers and taking part in a cooking activity, on the day club members also enjoyed a celebrity cook-off which saw Rob Rees MBE, the Cotswold Chef, go up against ex-England rugby captain and former BBC MasterChef winner, Phil Vickery, to see who could cook up the best Valentine’s themed three-course meal.
The audience voted Phil Vickery the winner who was then presented with his very own Golden Spoon Award too.
