A local charity has been awarded a £3,400 grant by national charity, Heart Research UK to educate young people on how healthy cooking can help look after their hearts.

‘Y Services for Young People’, which aims to support and develop the skills of 11-19 year olds in the area, has been awarded the grant to deliver their ‘Y Cook it!’ project.

Research shows a worrying trend of young people failing to develop basic cooking skills because they are not seeing cooking take place in the home, and are not involved in preparation of food or helping out in the kitchen.

This new project will provide cooking classes during term-time in local community venues, and summer holiday cook-it camps in socially deprived areas. ‘Y Cook it!’ will also engage directly with local young people at the Access All Areas council event, which attracts hundreds of young people each year.

The project, which is hoping to directly reach around 300 participants, will be funded by a Heart Research UK and Subway® Healthy Heart grant. The money has been raised locally in Subway stores throughout the region, and through nationwide Subway Helping Hearts™ Family 5K fun runs.

Sarah Mirfin, Healthy Heart Coordinator at Heart Research UK said: “We are thrilled to be supporting this exciting and hands-on project. It’s so important that we reach our young people and help to equip them with practical skills that they can carry through to a happier and healthier adulthood.

“The ‘Y Cook it!’ project will provide young people with information in a fun and engaging way so they can make informed choices tomorrow and in the future.

“We are grateful to the support of our partner Subway and their customers in Meridian who have donated to help make this possible.”

Lorna Danter, Senior Practitioner at Y Services for Young People, said: “By reaching young people early, we hope to be able to make a huge difference to their lives and their relationship with food. A healthy diet is so important to our overall well-being, so it’s vital to educate the next generation about how they can make positive choices.

“The project will also help to develop the social skills and confidence of the participants and help develop them as individuals, not only benefiting them, but their families and communities as well”.

To find out more about Y Services for Young People, please visit: www.yservices.co.uk