The need for the promotion of healthy lifestyles is self-evident in today’s society to help counter the rise of childhood obesity and combat the long-term effects caused by poor lifestyle management and heart disease.
Millwall FC, Millwall Community Trust, and The Royal Academy of Culinary Arts’s “Kick and Cook” programme will seek to develop healthy lifestyles through engaging children in physical activity, and develop lifelong cooking skills with top-class chefs.
The programme will be delivered to children aged between 10 and 11 in conjunction with the local Primary Care trusts and the National Healthy Schools programme.
The programme will be implemented through a series of cookery and sports/football coaching sessions placing a strong emphasis on participation and the benefits of this to develop a healthy lifestyle and lifelong love of preparing food. In particular, there will be an emphasis on diet and exercise and the relationship between this and health.
The sessions will also have extracurricular work to stimulate discussion between parents and their children, thus gaining a greater understanding of health issues for the individuals and the families, and develop family cookery skills.
The first session was held today at Riverside Primary School. Chef Ashley Marsh taught the session, alongside Emily Stanley of The Millwall Lionesses, and Debbie Julians. The lesson was about the basic food groups, senses, and taste, and the students were given the opportunity to explore these different aspects.
Sean Daly, CEO of The Community Trust, said: "There are so many issues surrounding children who lead unhealthy lifestyles. Something so important such as cooking is not always taught in school, and they grow up not knowing how to prepare their own meals, or not knowing how to use the ingredients they buy, and that leads to eating unhealthily, food waste, and more. Leading a healthy lifestyle is key, and when better to learn than now!
The coaching aspect included with the programme will also show the kids that regular exercise and eating healthy go hand-in-hand if they want to be the healthiest they can be. I'm excited to see the impact the programme will have on them and their families."
The sessions will continue for a few more weeks, where the kids will learn how to use a range of kitchen utensils and eventually use their new skills and knowledge to make themselves a healthy meal.
If you want to learn more about the programme, email Sean Daly sdaly@millwallcommunity.org.uk
