‘Learn to cook’ was launched as a pilot programme by Amaal Girls in partnership with Youth Inclusion Support Panel (YISP) in response to the need for additional tailored support in transition from childhood to adult responsibility where parental support and input is limited. The programme aimed to support young members of a family of four under the care of YISP to:
• Develop their cooking skills
• Adopt healthier options for cooking regular meals
• Be better equipped for adult life
• Develop better sense of responsibility
• Interact, learn and enjoy doing an activity together as a family
• Share their strengths and build on their weaknesses
• Work as a team and support each other
The programme aimed to promote shared family learning with an approach both therapeutic as well as educational. The cooking sessions were delivered by an experienced tutor and a volunteer both who were qualified in food hygiene. The tutor and volunteer worked to develop positive relationships with the participant’s providing an element of mentoring based on the needs identified or expressed in the sessions.
The pilot programme was very successful in meeting it aims and has been agreed for continuation in partnership with YISP as an annual programme. This year’s programme will begin in October and run for a period of 20 weeks. We hope to work with families as well as individuals from different families referred to us by YISP.