Seeds, soup and sarnies

This practical Big Lottery-funded project delivers family learning courses, open to all ages and abilities, in the belief that everybody has something to contribute. In sharing old family recipes and interesting growing techniques, SS&S hopes that new bonds will be forged, and that after three growing seasons (the project runs for 33 months from September 2009), the communities will continue the project in whatever space or form suits them.

The project is being carried out in the China Clay area of Cornwall and in Middlesbrough. In Cornwall, Seeds, Soups and Sarnies are working in partnership with Cornwall Family Learning, Volunteer Cornwall, Cornwall Neighbourhoods for Change and ContinYou, using local connections to bring people together.

We aim to involve 180 families (roughly 360 participants) from low-income rural and urban communities. With courses, day trips and celebration events we will build participants' skills, confidence and positive social interactions at both a family and community level. A Seeds, Soup & Sarnies Facebook page has been set up to share ideas and events, and gardeners and cooks of all ages will soon be able to safely swap their top tips on our family-friendly website. At the end of the project we will have a resource (printed and web-based) sharing good practice gained from the project with other family learning centres.