JamieOliver.com

Fri 03 Jul 2009 @ 15:13
Danny McCubbin

The temperature was close to 30 oC the day that volunteers from K P Nuts started to build a vegetable garden at the Bluebell Wood children’s hospice in Rotherham. Surviving entirely on donations, this wonderful organisation provides palliative care for children and their families who live in South Yorkshire, North East Derbyshire, North Nottinghamshire and parts of North Lincolnshire. Once completed, the kitchen garden will be tended to by the children and the produce grown will feature on the menu in the dining room at the hospice. Sarah Champion, Chief Executive of Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice said “The work completed by the KP staff was astounding; they kept going strong all day, despite the heat and achieved a phenomenal amount. The children visiting our hospice will benefit so much from being able to plant and then watch their produce grow on return visits. The KP staff really seemed to enjoy the day, and several of them said they would come back and volunteer for us on a regular basis”.

There was a great sense of unity on the day as the staff from KP Nuts worked diligently to get the job done. Helen from KP Nuts, said “The event was fantastic for us as a company. Not only did we get to help a very important local cause, but the day was a fantastic exercise in team building for the company”. This is not the first time that I have come in contact with KP Nuts. The company participated in Jamie’s workplace “Pass it on” initiative that was part of the Ministry of Food campaign last year and since then they have been very involved in learning to cook and eat well in their workplace.

Staff and volunteers from Jamie’s Ministry of Food were also in attendance on the day making sure that the workers were well fed for lunch. Lisa Taylor (the manager of the centre) and the volunteers made the Jamie’s cracking burgers from his Ministry of Food book as well as omelettes and one cup pancakes. Aside from being thoroughly impressed with the building of this vegetable garden it was also a great opportunity for me to catch up on all of the news from Lisa on the Food Centre in Rotherham. Lisa says that they are busier than ever with the running of the cooking classes and they have developed some outstanding partnerships with various organisations and companies in Rotherham. What is inspiring is the fact that many of the attendees of the cooking classes have been so inspired to cook that they have become volunteers at the centre themselves.

I am continually impressed with the fact that the Food Centre in Rotherham has gone from strength to strength after Jamie’s Ministry of Food aired in the UK. There are many inspiring stories on how the staff and volunteers at the Food Centre have provided the necessary elements for people to turn their lives around through cooking. I felt a great deal of respect for everyone who worked on the day and I look forward to visiting Bluebell Wood in the future to see how the vegetable garden has progressed.

For more information on Bluebell Wood children's hospice

For more information on Jamie's Ministry of Food