Teesdale Lions Club Boosts young people’s healthy eating initiative at Foundation

Amid the cost-of-living crisis and increasing food poverty, staff at Foundation Richmond are keen to help young people budget their food expenditure, promote healthy eating, and develop cost-effective ways of cooking to manage soaring energy costs. So they were delighted to have received a welcome boost to their healthy eating initiative from Teesdale District Lions Club.

Staff and clients at The Galleries in Richmond met Sue Barron, Secretary of The Lions Club, Teesdale District, who donated four air fryers which will be key to reducing electricity consumption and will also allow the young people who use the service to create nourishing meals.

Rachel Hunter, Service Manager at The Galleries, said: “We are most appreciative of the Lions Club’s generosity which will help enormously in meeting normal day-to-day running costs for our young people. We are planning a series of regular cookery groups to highlight the benefits of buying healthy ingredients, avoiding food waste, as well as creating meal plans, cooking from scratch and batch cooking to assist with budgeting. This will also be a wonderful social opportunity for the young people and staff to develop a sense of community and camaraderie when cooking together. The air fryers will give them the opportunity to develop and apply these practical skills and cook more cost effectively.”

Sue Barron, Secretary of the Lions Club, Teesdale District, added: “I am really impressed by the charity’s work and the valuable service it delivers to support young people who are at risk of homelessness. The Lions are delighted to inject a boost to this important health and nutrition initiative and to help the young people learn new cookery skills to create budget-conscious meals using the energy-efficient air fryers. To know our donations will positively impact their lives is a great assurance.”