How our adaptable resources are supporting other local food education initiatives

Educational food preparation session using illustrated cards for ingredient identification and culinary learning.

Dannielle Pollard helps run nutrition sessions for Camp Inspire, a Chesterfield Football Club initiative offering children holiday activities. She shares her experience using the Best Food Forward (BFF) resources. The sessions are held during school holidays like Christmas, Easter, and summer, focusing on sports and nutrition, emphasising the impact of healthy eating on children.

The programme targets students at both primary and secondary school, including those with special educational needs (SEN) and those on free school meals. Funded by the community trust associated with the football club, it ensures accessibility for many children.

---

“We have a lot of students from low-income families that might not normally be able to access that kind of [nutrition] information.”

---

Parents can choose the days their children attend, and activities are varied to maintain interest. Dannielle got involved through her job at a local secondary school and was later adopted into their programme. She has now been involved for nearly a year.

The initiative includes cooking sessions, sports activities, and nutrition talks. Resources from Best Food Forward (BFF) have been integrated, with a particular focus on the effects of caffeine, sugar, and hydration, and how these factors impact young people's health. The sessions are interactive, engaging the children actively. Danielle highlighted that the resources were evidence-based, which was essential to help combat misinformation.

---

“So, it wasn't them just sitting there listening to me doing a PowerPoint presentation. There was a lot of interaction.”

---

More and more students are benefiting from activity programmes during the school breaks. About 80 children participate each holiday period, and the programme runs for two weeks at a time. So far, around 40 children have benefited from the sessions, which incorporate the BFF materials. The resources' adaptability allows them to be reused and tailored for different groups, maximising the project’s impact.

Dannielle is preparing for upcoming nutrition sessions at Camp Inspire during the Summer holidays. She mentions the usefulness of food cards provided by BFF to Netherthorpe School, and was provided with additional packs for the upcoming Camp Inspire sessions. The BFF Food Cards are designed to be versatile enough to be used with various age groups, including primary school children.

If you would like to learn more about the BFF resources, please contact us!

LAUREN RATHBONE

Project Director