Winchester Go LD launch Walk and Talk Programme
Winchester Go LD launch walk and talk project.
Date: 2 December 2020 Author: Energise Me
This summer we worked with Abri (formally known as Radian) to deliver their Good Grub Club to families across Southampton. We worked with them to adapt the offer to something virtual so that families didn’t miss out because of COVID.
Abri has been running the Good Grub Club since 2017. The club started as a small group and has grown massively over the last three years. It is now, normally, run out of Colne Avenue Baptist Church with 40+ parents and children attending each session. Over the course of the last three years, the club has supported over 80 families.
The club aims to engage parents and children in learning new cooking techniques, nutrition knowledge and trying new food. It also encourages children to try new physical activities and provides a space for families to get together socially.
Usually the families work together to prepare a meal (main, side and dessert) with the help of partners and volunteers. Whilst the food is cooking the families take part in activities and games that help them learn about nutrition or being active. The activities can sometimes include outdoor cricket and ball games, dance classes, and games where you learn how much sugar is in different foods.
Abri run this section to get the children moving, burning some energy and learning new things they can replicate at home. The final stage of the club is coming back together to chat and eat the food everyone has prepared together.
This summer Abri had to adapt its normal offer. The team knew it was important to still support the families despite the restrictions in place because of COVID.
The club was switched to a virtual one with families being supplied a box of pre-measured ingredients and a recipe card weekly. Using a Facebook group, they posted cook-along video tutorials for the families to watch for help with the cooking.
Over the course of 5 weeks of the summer holidays, 35 families were supplied with The Good Grub Club boxes.
Within each box families also received some physical activity resources from Energise Me. Each week’s box included a copy of the Hampshire School Games Trek to Tokyo booklet, a physical activity leaflet and equipment that could be used to complete the activities. Resources ranged from hoops and balls to bean bags and bats.
It’s been lovely. We’ve prepared a lot of the food altogether. We sat around the dinner table.
- Michelle, Mum and Good Grub Club Member
We caught up with some of the families to see how the Good Grub Club affected their summer. One mum, Michelle, said “It’s been lovely. We’ve prepared a lot of the food all together. We sat around the dinner table”. The food parcels have even been said to have helped children become more adventurous with food.
Michelle also said that the physical activity equipment got used a lot more at home. The children made up their own games and continue to play them despite the holiday club being finished.
Having the booklets helped provide structure, which is great for some of the children, but they really enjoyed getting creative and making up their own games.
- Michelle, Mum and Good Grub Club Member
The children said that they liked to bring a competitive side to the games. They used the cones, bean bags and chalk they were given to create a catching game and keep score.
Our work with Abri to deliver their Good Grub Club is continuing over the Christmas Holidays. The Good Grub will be providing families with more delicious recipes and ingredients, alongside a 12 days of Christmas activity resource.
Helping us tackle inactivity to boost health and happiness
