Big Lottery Fund

LOTTERY FUNDING DISHES UP FAMILY LEARNING

IN ESSEX

Essex families can learn to cook tasty and healthy

meals together at a new project funded by the

Big Lottery Fund (BIG).

The award announcement of over £400,000

comes from BIG’s Family Learning programme

which brings together grandparents, parents, carers

and children from disadvantaged areas to learn new skills and learn from each other.

Ashlyns Organics Ltd will use its £419,576 award for its Can Cook Will Cook project to work with families who have poor basic skills or other social disadvantages. Workshops will develop skills in numeracy and literacy while sharing knowledge about cookery and nutrition. Professional chefs will lead cookery courses in a fully certified training kitchen on an open farm, in schools and at community venues.

The chefs will work with families to plan and prepare nutritionally balanced meals, including vegetarian, halal and kosher. The rural Essex project’s partners, including Essex Rural Community Council (ERCC), Essex Foster Carers Council, Essex County Council and Mid Essex Primary Care Trust, have provided additional funding totalling £100,050.

Gary Stokes, Project Director at Ashlyns Organics Ltd, said: “Winning this award from the Big Lottery Fund will make a difference as it will enable Ashlyns to truly fulfil its potential to change people’s lives forever. Food is such a basic fundamental need that gets neglected and abused with severe consequences. We aim to change people’s perceptions and encourage them to enjoy cooking for the benefit of future generations.”

Sara Betsworth, Big Lottery Fund Head of Region for East of England, said: “Through projects such as Can Cook Will Cook many families who face disadvantages or hardship will be able to share new positive experiences, enjoy being creative and build better relationships between one another.  The funding announced today will help strengthen the families involved, which in turn will lead to a positive impact on their local community.”

Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 020 7211 1888    

Out of hours contact: 07867 500 572

Public Enquiries Line: 08454 102030                           Textphone:  0845 6021 659

Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available on the website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk

For more information, please contact us info@ashlynsorganics.co.uk or phone 01277 890821