Innovation Award for Rhondda Cynon Taff Healthy Schools scheme

The Rhondda Cynon Taff Healthy Schools team of the National Public Health Service for Wales (NPHS) has won an award for launching an innovative scheme encouraging children to cook. The C3 training programme, or 'Children Cooking in the Classroom', scooped first prize in the Learning to Improve category at the Rhondda Cynon Taff and Caerphilly Teaching Local Health Board Annual Awards.
 
This year’s awards were titled 'Celebrating Innovation 2008' and recognised achievements made by staff working in clinical, local authority, voluntary sector, primary care, NHS Trust, community and patient group roles across the two counties. There were 55 entries in five categories, with a total of 25 being shortlisted for awards presented by Jane Hutt, Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills. Ann Quirke and Kerry Robinson, both Healthy Schools Officers for Rhondda Cynon Taff, accepted the award at a ceremony at Rhondda Heritage Park.
 
The team is based within the NPHS and is part of the Welsh Assembly Government's Welsh Network of Healthy Schools. The Network is a partnership between health and education that adopts a holistic approach to promoting and protecting the health and wellbeing of children and young people through health promotion activities and programmes in school settings.
The C3 Training Programme is a course for teachers that enables them to deliver practical cooking sessions to school pupils. It consists of Food Safety Theory, Nutrition Theory and a Practical Cookery Skills session and is delivered over three consecutive days. The programme was offered to all 87 schools participating in the Healthy Schools Scheme in Rhondda Cynon Taff. A total of 116 members of staff from 61 schools completed the training programme, which was funded through a Food and Fitness grant from the Welsh Assembly Government.

Ann Quirke, Healthy Schools Officer for Rhondda Cynon Taff, said: 'We are delighted to have won this award, which recognises the importance of the work that the Healthy Schools Network undertakes in improving the health of school pupils. 'Through practical cookery sessions, children can learn a great deal about the importance of choosing and preparing healthy food in safeguarding their future health'.

Re-produced with permission from the National Public Health Service for Wales (NPHS)