With schools out for summer, we delivered six weeks of free holiday activities to over 100 local children and their families.
Hosted at The Roundhouse, the programme featured hands-on cooking classes using surplus food collected by the charity from local supermarkets, greengrocers, bakers and allotments. Families cooked and sampled dishes from Italy, India, Greece, and Mexico, turning potential food waste into delicious meals and shared experiences.
We were delighted to be joined by our growing family of community partners, who brought their own creativity to the mix, from screen printing with Dundee Contemporary Arts and yoga with Heart Space to storytelling with The National Literacy Trust.
Families also took part in sewing, marshmallow-making, and arts and crafts and, blessed with some fantastic, sunny weather, enjoyed a fun-packed end-of-summer party before the school term resumed.
Diane, mum to Emily (6), shared, “Emily and I started coming to the cooking classes just before she started primary school. It was partly for the social side, but now she’s learning so much, especially about different foods. She used to pick onions out of everything, but now that she’s involved in preparing food and eating with others, she’s trying more things. She’s also learned how food grows through Signpost’s outdoor space. There’s a big difference when you actually see it happening!”
Meanwhile, Brogan, mum to Isla (7) and Freddie (2) joined us during the Easter holidays and was eager to return. She said, “We came partly for Isla’s socialisation, but also for Freddie, who has a selective eating disorder. Since coming, he’s become better at touching and licking food; it’s really helped. Playing with food leads to touching and hopefully eating it. The classes are fun, and a great way to meet other families.”
Thank you!
We’re incredibly grateful to The Volant Trust and Faith in Community Scotland for funding this programme, and to our friends at Feeling Strong, not forgetting our brilliant team of local volunteers and STV News, who came along to capture the joy and energy of the summer.
Steph Dolan, our Education and Community Worker, said, “It’s a real privilege to see children and their families learning new skills and gaining confidence over the holidays, whether it’s chopping fresh fruit or sewing for the first time. Every day we see how small changes can spark new habits, build confidence, and bring families closer together, all assisted by the simple, shared joy of food.”
