At Nourish Hub, we believe good food is just the beginning. It’s a route to better health, stronger community ties, and a sense of belonging. That’s why, this spring, we piloted a new project that combined our cookery course with a free on-site creche for children under five so parents could participate fully, without worrying about childcare.
This project wasn’t just about increasing knowledge and skills but also removing barriers to accessing our education programme, NourishED. We know that for many parents, especially those with young children, finding time for self-care or personal development can be incredibly difficult. The lack of affordable, accessible childcare often means they miss out on opportunities that support wellbeing and social connection.
By offering a safe, welcoming creche and Rose Vouchers alongside our cookery course, we created space for parents to focus on themselves while knowing their children were cared for close by. The course ran over several weeks, giving participants time to build cooking confidence, try new recipes, and bond over shared meals and stories.
Parents told us they felt recharged, connected, and valued.
“Cooking is easier with the guidance of Helen and other staff. Very helpful information we learnt. Give me more confidence in the kitchen”. – Parent A
“I loved being able to cook without worrying if my toddler was safe. And I met people who were also in the same situation as me, we bonded over our children’s dietary needs!” – Parent B
“The organisation and implementation of the course is very professional, I thoroughly enjoyed it and learnt new skills and knowledge”. – Parent C
We hope to repeat this model in the future and are currently exploring funding options to make this a regular part of our offer.
A huge thank you to our team of staff & volunteers, Jumping Stars Creche, and most of all the parents who joined us with openness and enthusiasm. We’d also like to thank the funders, Act20:35 and the H&F children’s centres for helping us bring this idea to life.
If you’d like to support future projects like this one, or learn more about our work at Nourish Hub, please get in touch at info@nourishhub.org.uk .
