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Families take part in October half term ‘It’s a Wrap!’ event

2nd November 2023

Families from across the Chichester district joined together during the October half term to take part in Chichester District Foodbank’s family event ‘It’s a Wrap’. 

With a focus on holiday hunger and the need for free activities during the school break, we invited local families to decorate pumpkins and create their own, nutritious lunch. The Wellbeing Team from Chichester District Council was on hand with foodbank staff and volunteers to give advice and tips around healthy eating and cooking on a budget.

Whilst some children on low incomes can access free school meals during term time, holiday hunger is a reality for many. Families can also struggle to join in with activities or days out, which can lead to social isolation. Throughout the year, it is a challenge to feed a family with nutritious food whilst living on a tight budget. 

After decorating pumpkins, parents, carers and children visited workstations, where they could have a try at chopping, slicing and dicing vegetables, as well as learning how to make hummus from scratch. The result was a delicious and healthy warp that could easily be recreated at low cost at home. Pumpkins were taken home along with ingredients to recreate the lunch.

Melissa, from Emsworth, who brought her three children to the event, said: “With the cost of living, trying to find things that are free for the kids is hard. This is a brilliant event.”

Bognor grandmother Lisa Hooper, accompanied by her two grandsons, said: “The team have been very welcoming and have made the experience of food preparation and cooking enjoyable. I would definitely recommend the event and come again.”

Grandson Joshua, 13, echoed those sentiments. He said: “I’ve really loved being here because we’ve done a lot of activities, got to draw on pumpkins and make  great food that tastes really good. I hope we get to come again.”

The event was devised by Keely Storey, Lived Experience Coordinator at Chichester District Foodbank. Keely said: “We listened to our clients at the Food Bank and responded by offering this opportunity. We recognise the importance of free activities for local families and the chance to share ideas and stories, whilst demonstrating that healthy food can be fun as well as tasty!”

Thank you to everyone who took part in this event and we look forward to working closer with families in the future. 

 

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