THE CHRISTCHURCH FOOD FESTIVAL
EDUCATION TRUST

As beneficiary of last year’s Festival charitable fundraising, The Christchurch Food Festival Education Trust has been able to secure the important schools’ work for 2008 and the Trustees are very pleased to be once again chosen as the Festival Charity this year.

The Trust now provides the link between the Food Festival’s educational aspirations and the actual work carried out in the Borough’s schools. The Trust is also currently working on the expansion of food education in Christchurch to reach other groups identified by local health workers.

The 2007 Christchurch Food and Wine Festival was yet another successful event.  The 2007 educational events were also resoundingly successful with all local secondary schools and all but two local primary schools involved. A staggering 100 workshops promoted good food and nutrition to over 1,000 school children. Young people took part in cookery competitions concluded by taking part in a ‘cook-off’ in the Festival’s demonstration marquee where the competitors met and impressed celebrity chef Jean Christophe Novelli.

New for 2007 was a ‘Kid’s Kitchen’ event held in Druitt Hall with food and cookery demonstrations for 5 –11 year olds along with food tasting, competitions and food science run by local health visitors. Over 120 children attended the demonstrations and over 600 to the event itself.

These events will take place once again thanks to the generosity of the Food Festival fund raising, sponsors and supporters

The Trust is now established and the Trustees include a highly experienced Home Economist, a Deputy Head Teacher and Head of Special Needs with a home economy background, a specialist nurse working within the field of diabetes and diabetes research, a local retired GP who also heads the Christchurch Community Partnership, a local businesswoman with many years’ of experience of charities at local, national and international level and a local government officer working in public relations. This balance of skills will be invaluable to the progress and success of the Trust.

The Trust is also working very closely not only with local schools but also with the local Primary Care Trust (PCT), local health workers and with the Christchurch Community Partnership, in particular its Health and Care Action Group. Future projects have already been identified and discussions underway with groups such as the WRVS to undertake training and educational work in the community, not just during the Festival but also eventually throughout the year.

The Trustees have been busy investigating sources of income and promoting the Trust by giving talks and presentations about their work.

The Christchurch Food Festival Education Trust will continue to work hard to provide funds for the educational aims of the Festival and other food-related educational activity in the community and is thrilled to be a beneficiary of this year’s Festival fundraising.