The Grub Club
Empowering learners Through Cooking and Healthy Eating
Case Study
A terrific opportunity, The Grub Club, was created through the Community Focused Schools initiative to support four rural Monmouthshire schools in engaging with their families and local communities. Offering cooking sessions to the children during the school day was the starting point of the club with the intention of it growing to include cooking sessions for the families and wider community around the school. Through funding, the Community Focused Schools Lead was able to equip each school with the basic cooking equipment needed including two portable electric hobs, bowls, pots, graters and many other utensils needed for basic cooking.
In collaboration with the Sustainable Food Partnership Team, training was offered to two staff members from each school . Engaging the local community around the school, empowering children with cooking skills (and eventually their families too) helped with the cost-of-living crisis by learning how to cook from scratch; a cheaper way of eating than buying ready-made meals. A voucher was also given to each of the four schools to buy ingredients to get the club started.
Llandogo Primary School was one of the four schools chosen to take part in The Grub Club and they have had huge success with it. When the voucher money had been all used, the local Women’s Institute donated money to the school for the ingredients to be bought so the club could continue. Not only are the children learning about food, where it comes from, using it to cook healthy meals and having fun; they are learning life-long skills that will set them and their families up for life by being able to cook for themselves. Eventually, the school would like to use the produce they grow themselves in recipes and offer the cooking sessions to the families and wider community around the school too.
Impact:
- Learner Engagement: The learners had the opportunity to learn how to cook a variety of dishes, from savory meals to sweet treats. They developed practical life skills, such as using knives safely, following recipes, and understanding the importance of fresh produce.
- Community Support: The involvement of the Parent-Teacher Association and the WI demonstrated the power of community collaboration. Both organizations provided the financial backing needed to keep the club afloat after the initial food voucher was used and even helped foster a spirit of generosity and support within the wider community.
- Sustained Growth: As the term progressed, additional funding was secured through donations, ensuring the club could continue. The learners’s enthusiasm for cooking continued to grow, and the school is hopeful that the Grub Club will continue for many terms to come.
Conclusion:
The Grub Club at Llandogo Primary School is a prime example of how small, creative steps, when combined with community support, can lead to meaningful educational programs. Thanks to the efforts of dedicated staff and local partners, students are not only learning essential life skills but also enjoying the process of cooking and eating healthy meals.
As the club continues, Llandogo Primary School looks forward to expanding the program, ensuring that future generations of learners will have the opportunity to cook, learn, and thrive. Other schools have since been inspired to do similar projects, overcoming barriers and creating strong community links.
If you are interested in this project or have ideas for future projects, please get in touch with:
Healthy Settings – Monmouthshire or Monmouthshire Food Partnership – Monmouthshire
