Recipe for success

Published by Cheryl Harrison for Stockport Homes in Housing and also in Communities, Education, Health

Young chefs in Adswood showed off their skills in the kitchen with a cookery course in healthy, cheap and nutritious meals provided by Stockport Homes, Stockport Continuing Education (SMBC) and the Stockport Play Development Team.

Seven sessions were delivered in an area with high levels of youth anti-social behaviour (ASB) during January and February to give young people on the estate something to do and to help deter ASB.

10 young people took part, learning how to cook their own favourite fast food including burgers, chips, pizzas and chicken nuggets as a cheaper and healthier alternative to a take away.

The project finished with a celebration buffet lunch, at which parents and services were invited to come and sample the food that the young people had learned to cook throughout the course of the project.

Rebecca McAvoy, Education Officer at Stockport Homes said: ‘It was brilliant to see the young people grown in confidence as the sessions went on. Some of them are well known in the area, and not necessarily for good reasons. It was great to see them get involved with something positive. I hope that everyone involved carries on cooking for their friends and families.

Four of the young people also took the opportunity to take part in a CIEH Level 1 Food Hygiene and Safety Qualification and have passed the exam.

Lewis Scanlon, who attended the sessions, commented: ‘I have learnt how to cook loads of different and really nice things like pizza, soup and chicken nuggets.’