Washwood Heath families reap the rewards of food growing course

Residents in Washwood Heath have been harvesting the fruits of their labours, thanks to FoodNet4 Life, an innovative food programme. 

FoodNet4 Life works in priority areas of Birmingham to promote healthy eating by building knowledge and skills round food, with the ultimate aim of reducing risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer and obesity. 

Among the activities it provides are food growing courses, in partnership with organisations such as Highfield Children’s Centre in Washwood Heath. Earlier this year, local families who use the centre joined the FoodNet4 Life programme to take part in a food growing course. Over the course of five weeks, families gained the knowledge of how to grow their own fruit and vegetables both at home and in a community allotment site, secured by the Children’s Centre, in the Ward End Park area.  

Each week the families took part in a practical session, covering which varieties of fruit and vegetables to grow, regardless of what growing area was available to them. This included expert guidance in what tasty produce could be grown in containers and pots. 

Now that the course has finished, the families have continued to tend the allotment plot, and later this month will be reaping the rewards by gathering in the produce that they have grown and enjoying it at a cooking session. 

Rehana Begum, who took part on the course, said: “By attending the gardening sessions at Ward End Park Allotment I learned how to grow different vegetable and fruit. I have even grown some peppers in my garden as a result of the course . 

“I have made healthy food for my family, such as pakoras and lamb and rice, using vegetables from the allotment such as runner beans, courgettes, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots and lettuce. I will now attend the community cooking training with a view to becoming a cooking mentor.“

Christopher Walker, food health advisor for FoodNet4 Life, said: “Even though the course has finished, it was great to see that the families had carried on tending the plot. They are going to attend a ‘cook what you’ve grown session’ later on this month, so we complete the ‘plot to pot’ ethos. We have been able to show local families that growing your own is not only cheap but healthy and enjoyable too.” 

To learn more about FoodNet4 Life, call Christopher on 0121 607 1791 or email christopher.walker@benpct.nhs.uk.