Families in Stafford are getting a helping hand to eat more healthily, including having more vegetables, thanks to their local Family Hub.
The team at Stafford Family Hub, off Faraday Road in the town, are giving local families practical tips, recipes and resources to make healthy eating easy and affordable.
At the hub’s recent ‘Sow, Grow, Cook and Eat’ event during the half-term holiday, families were shown how to prepare a variety of food from scratch, including guidance on how to sow seeds and bake bread.
The session also helped children learn how vegetables grow and gave families the opportunity to plant carrots, peas, aubergines and onions in time for summer. The session is part of the council’s wider Just Add Veg public health campaign, encouraging people to add an extra portion of veg to their meals.
One family attending the session said:
“This was a fantastic event and my daughter and I really enjoyed it. We learnt about the importance of vegetables and eating healthy, plus the fact it can save you money. The staff were very knowledgeable but also made it great fun. We’re always happy to join the events at the Family Hub.”
Nick Lakin, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People at Staffordshire County Council, said:
“Investing in families and helping them to thrive is our number one priority.
“Our Family Hubs are welcoming, inclusive spaces where families can get vital help and support along with access to lots of activities and other important local services.
“Encouraging families to be healthy, including eating more veg, is really important and the ‘Sow, Grow, Cook and Eat’ event at Stafford Family Hub has made a real difference. The sessions show that healthy eating doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive. It can be fun for children and a chance for families to do something creative together.
“This is only one of many activities available at our Family Hubs and I’d encourage families to visit and discover new tips and tricks that could really help them thrive.”
Shaz is a parent volunteer at the hub and said:
“Having helped to plan the event, it was great to see the families enjoy it so much and the positive impact. It’s fantastic that the children were saying they could do this at home and were asking to have recipes."
The event is also part of Staffordshire County Council’s Just Add Veg campaign, which promotes healthy eating and encourages residents to try more vegetables with their meals.
Family Hubs provide a wide range of initiatives and services to help give children the very best start in life. This includes early years activities and practical help for families along with support on things like parenting, infant feeding, housing and debt, childcare entitlements and more.
Hubs are located across Staffordshire and bring together different services in a one-stop shop to make it easier for families to get the help they need. Further information on the hubs is available on the Staffordshire Family Hubs webpage.
