Babergh's children continue to benefit from fun activities during the school holidays, including family park cookery sessions, which cabinet member for communities Cllr Derek Davis visited today.

The council has partnered with Abbeycroft Leisure and Explore Outdoor to offer the outdoor cooking masterclasses to families in need during the October half-term – cementing its commitment to reducing health inequalities, as set out in its recently adopted Wellbeing Strategy.

Attendees are given the opportunity to learn how to cook a hearty and nutritious meal in the outdoors, whilst also enjoying a host of activities such as archery and shelter building.

In addition, each family is provided with a free box of ingredients and five recipe cards to enable them to prepare healthy, tasty food at home – supporting the council's ongoing ambition to combat holiday hunger in Babergh.

One parent, whose child attended the cookery day, shared the difference this made to their family, commenting: "It's brilliant to be able to get the children out the house and away from their phones. We love coming here and come whenever its on, today we've made catapults and bottle rockets and enjoyed pumpkin carving and fire building."

The scheme – funded by the council and partners – has proved hugely successful and is now in its second year of running. Since it began, it's estimated to have helped more than 300 children in Babergh, and while lockdown halted planned events for Christmas 2020 and earlier this year, food parcels and activity kits were distributed to vulnerable families throughout the district instead.

Although free places are allocated on a needs basis – with local schools identifying families in receipt of free school meals or eligible for other reasons – children not meeting this criteria are also welcome to participate in the cookery days for a small cost.

Babergh cabinet member and Shotley peninsula councillor, Derek Davis, attended a session today and got his hands covered as he helped scoop out the inside of a pumpkin ready for carving.

He said: "It was an honour to see first-hand how much Babergh's children benefit from this cookery scheme. Not only do they get to experience a fun-filled day in the great outdoors, but they're also given invaluable ideas on how to make delicious meals on a budget at home – supporting families in need both now and in future.

"As a parent myself, I know how hard it can be to entertain children during the school holidays, so I am delighted that our council continues to work closely with leisure providers to offer a range of activities to beat boredom and encourage our residents to lead fit and healthy lives."

Other half-term activities provided by Babergh District Council and its partners include intensive swimming lessons at Hadleigh Pool and a Love Exploring Halloween Trail through Sudbury town centre, which offers the chance to find creepy characters using a mobile app while out and about.

This follows the council co-ordinating with Suffolk County Council and activity providers to facilitate a range of exciting and educational activities during the summer, such as sports sessions in Hadleigh, skateboarding at Belle Vue Park, and dance and drama classes.