They wanted to raise funds for the work that Bristol Sport Foundation (BSF) had started with Feeding Bristol and Square Food Foundation to tackle inactivity and food insecurity. Fast forward four months and together they have delivered a number of cooking videos on the BSF app, which can be downloaded HERE, and delivered the first ever Active. Healthy. Happy. holiday camp.
Rob Webber, Head of Operations for BSF, spoke about how this journey began; “after speaking with the guys at HL following their fundraising efforts we wanted to work together to create an initiative that helped people that had been hit hard by the effects of COVID-19. After talking through all of the projects that we were working on, there was no hesitation that this was the best fit.”
“COVID-19 has impacted the communities of Bristol in a dramatic way, holiday hunger is at a high, with an estimated 3 million children at risk of going hungry during the school holidays in the UK and children are finding it harder than ever to access physical activity opportunities.”
“These camps ensure that each child that attends will receive three main meals for the day, starting with a healthy breakfast, lunch cooked by themselves and will be equipped with the skills and ingredients they need in order to cook a healthy dinner for their families, alongside plenty of opportunities to be active and have fun in a safe environment.”
The pilot, which took place at Oasis Academy Connaught in Knowle West, saw lots of children having a great time playing sport and being active before heading in to the kitchen to learn how to cook healthy seasonal produce and they even got to take home a recipe kit with everything they need to put their new skills to the test and cook for their families. It was such a success that BSF are delighted to announce that the initiative is to be extended and rolled out during every school holiday period starting with a Christmas themed camp during the Christmas holidays.
The format for this programme will see a mix of physical activity, cooking lessons and the day will wrap up with an all new mental wellness session which will be delivered in the form of short yoga classes and will be split into four sessions to allow for smaller groups to encourage a calmer atmosphere. This will directly contribute to BSF’s mission of creating Active. Healthy. Happy. communities with the next holiday camp scheduled in Knowle West on Monday, December 21st – which will of course have a festive theme!
Jo Ingleby, director of The Children’s Kitchen, said that “The Children’s Kitchen are really pleased to be part of this exciting new programme for children. It was lots of fun making Mexican food in October and we can’t wait to create some festive dishes this time with Square Food Foundation.”
“The children will be creating their own tasty lunches and taking home a recipe booklet and meal kit to cook at home. Health is so much more than just eating well or exercising; the Active, Healthy, Happy days help children to understand the balance and go home feeling positive!”
None of this is possible without having great partners, and Heather Cooper, Chief People Officer at Hargreaves Lansdown, told us why they got involved “It’s vitally important, now more than ever, to offer children the opportunity to be active, healthy and happy and Hargreaves Lansdown are proud to sponsor the partnership between Bristol Sport Foundation, Feeding Bristol and Square Food Foundation.”
In order to support the upscaling of this initiative BSF have also launched a fundraising campaign so that more communities can benefit. If you would like to donate then please click the button below, anything you can spare will help to keep families Active. Healthy. Happy.
