Category: Featured

Guest article: BCUHB

Pupils and their parents or grandparents have taken part in an innovative cookery course at Brynteg Primary School in Wrexham developed by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board’s Public Health Dietetics team.

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The course, Come and Cook with your Child, is adapted from the award-winning North Wales Come and Cook course. It enables four to five-year-olds in the school environment to work alongside their parent, carer or grandparent to build early knowledge on food, nutrition and practical cooking skills.

Sarah Powell-Jones, Dietetic Assistant co-leading the courses, said: “It has been wonderful to work in the school with the parents, grandparents and their children. So much learning has taken place during the last six weeks, not only by the children but also amongst the parents and grandparents.

“The children have learnt about food hygiene and kitchen safety, how to include more fruit and vegetables into their meals, and explored how to reduce sugar in their breakfast and lunchtime meals. Parents and grandparents have learnt these topics alongside their children, plus extra activities focusing on the eatwell guide, foods containing fat, fibre, sugar and salt, label reading, adapting recipes, shopping smart and menu planning.”

The course encourages children to enjoy taking part in the preparation of family meals and to explore and try new foods. Each session has a nutrition theme such as ‘five a day’ fruit and vegetables or healthy breakfasts and lunchboxes. The session begins with a story, followed by a carousel of fun activities for children and parents to choose from plus cooking and tasting food together.

Rachel Roberts, Dietetic Assistant also, co-leading the courses, said: “It has been truly action packed but they have engaged with us at every opportunity. We believe this course is special because of the opportunity it gives parents/grandparents/carers to come into school and work with their child for a couple of hours each week. We love hearing the discussions between the families about how the course is making a difference, and what they are trying out or changing at home each week.”

A group of children, parents and grandparents at Brynteg Primary school in Wrexham are amongst the first group of families to take part and complete the course.

Head teacher of Brynteg Primary School Rachel Connell, said: “The Come and Cook programme provided our younger children and their parents the valuable opportunity to work together and create healthy dishes from scratch. I have received positive feedback from both the parents and their children. They found the sessions fun and now have increased confidence, knowledge and skills, they are looking forward to replicating the meals at home.”

Come and Cook with your Child is due to run in two further primary schools across Wrexham and Flintshire this month with plans to deliver further courses in primary schools across the whole of North Wales in 2023 and beyond.

For more information, visit Public Health Dietetics Team webpage on the Health Board’s website.

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You might have spotted the refurbishment work currently taking place at one of Wrexham’s iconic city centre buildings.

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Onsite work has started at 58 Hope Street, part of Wrexham Central Arcade, the first of many key target buildings identified to regenerate the Conservation Area of Wrexham City Centre – with grant funding secured through Wrexham Townscape Heritage Scheme (THS) from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Thanks to National Lottery players, change is in progress for this property, enabling the building to be brought back into use with a commercial premise on the ground floor and upper floors being converted into 3 x 2 bed apartments.

The Owner of 58 hope Street said: “Having the Townscape Heritage Team’s knowledge and support available as we renovate 58 Hope Street has helped us along the way as we look to bring back into use this important piece of Wrexham Heritage”

Townscape Heritage Scheme (THS) is targeting 31 key buildings within the Wrexham City Centre Conservation Area for regeneration and renovation, as we look to restore the more prominent and attractive heritage features, and bringing back into use the empty properties and vacant buildings.

Grants are now available for property owners or lease holders (with a minimum of 10 years remaining on the lease) to access grant funding to renovate the older buildings within THS boundary area and to restore the architectural and historical interest of the buildings, and improve those things which make them architecturally unique.

The THS also provides an excellent opportunity for local workforces to train and gain relevant upskilling through the contracts delivered through the THS programme by linking in with the traditional building skills programme; ensuring there is a skilled workforce able to take on heritage work locally and regionally into the future.

Cllr Nigel Williams, Lead Member for Economy, said: “This is an excellent opportunity for the regeneration area within the city centre, bringing back into use a vacant property that now can access grant funding, along with supporting local trades, to ensure that traditional building skills are not lost and a refurbished listed building that is being brought back into use”.

If you are a landlord or leaseholder looking to see if you qualify for funding, or are interested in further information about our THS, please email THS@wrexham.gov.uk to arrange a meeting, or an informal discussion.

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