Northampton healthy food project marks successful first year

People have been learning how to grow the food and cook it in the outdoor kitchen on site

A project designed to promote healthy living by teaching families to grow and cook food is celebrating its first anniversary.

"Grow! Cook! Eat!" was launched by Northampton Hope Centre, training 26 community champions to share their skills.

Organisers hope the project will help people stay healthy while food bills continue to rise.

It is backed by Public Health England and West Northamptonshire Council.

As part of the initiative, Anne Wankiiri, from the United African Association, helps to organise a group which meets at an allotment in Kingsthorpe.

She said: "It's really to inspire people to have their own vegetable garden, whether it's a box garden or something bigger."

Anne Wankiiri from the United African Association has been sharing cooking skills

Ms Wankiiri has been sharing her knowledge of African ingredients as well as British ones.

She said: "There is a vegetable that is affectionately known as 'sukuma wiki' and it means 'stretch the week' - so for those people who can't afford meat, they have this vegetable that stretches the week out and they've got something nutritious to carry them through.

"We are growing that here and it's very popular."

Beatrice Kerubo has been introducing people to pumpkin leaves

Beatrice Kerubo has been growing pumpkin leaves at the allotment.

In Kenya, the leaves provide an inexpensive meal when mixed with fried onions, tomatoes, spices and cream.

Ms Kerubo, who is persuading local families to try them, said: "It's very nice - you don't even worry about meat."

Steve Rockall from Sport4Fitness says the participants are "so proud" of the food they produce

The Northamptonshire community group, Sport4Fitness. runs another of the allotments that is part of the "Grow! Cook! Eat!" initiative.

Director Steve Rockall, who volunteers on the project, says: "They are actually producing their own food, so they're understanding where it starts from - just a small seed in a bag - and eventually they get something they can eat and enjoy, and they're just so proud of it."

The co-ordinator of the project, Kathleen Tanoh, said: "The high cost of food in the supermarket and the impact cheap, processed food is having on our health, makes initiatives like this an important part of improving the lives of people in our communities".