healthy dinners on the menu thanks to family cooking classes

Families in two County Durham communities are learning how to cook healthy meals on a budget, thanks to believe housing.

The housing association provided funding to the Family Dinners project, a five-week course taking place at Seascapes Primary School, in Peterlee, and Brandon Primary School, near Durham.

In weekly sessions, delivered by Wellbeing for Life, children and adults learn how to prepare and cook a low-cost healthy meal together.

Participants get to take their meal home with them, along with a bag of free ingredients to practice their new recipes again.

At the end of the five-week course, participants will receive a free slow cooker so they can build on their new skills in the future.

Allison Murray, North and Durham Dales Hub Co-ordinator for Wellbeing for Life, said: “With food prices continuing to rise, it’s getting more and more difficult for families to prepare healthy meals while also looking after their wallets.

“Through the Family Dinners project, we can teach families healthy recipes on a budget, which is a vital skill in today’s climate.

“We’d like to thank believe housing and Prosper for their support and funding to make the Family Dinners Project a reality.”

Colleagues from believe housing’s Employability and Tenancy Sustainment Team also attended one session to offer money and employment advice to attendees, who include believe housing customers.

The Family Dinners project is a joint scheme between Wellbeing for Life, a health and wellbeing service commissioned by Durham County Council and delivered by County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, Pioneering Care Partnership and believe housing. The County Durham-based housing association helped Wellbeing for Life to fund the project by utilising money provided by the Annual Social Value Dividend from local procurement consultancy, Prosper.