OLDER people and individuals with a physical disability, learning disability or sensory impairment are being given the chance of learning how to cook and the importance of healthy eating.

The new all-round cookery course, which is being run in Bromsgrove, will also give participants the chance to socialise, eat together, learn new skills and practise old ones, discover the importance of hygiene, grow their own fruit and vegetables and regain their confidence.

The course will run for a year – during term times – and is the result of a partnership between Bromsgrove Age UK and Worcestershire County Council through its Connect Bromsgrove service.

The weekly course starts on Friday September 11 and is being held at Amphlett Hall, Crown Close, Bromsgrove, which was left by the Amphlett family to be used for the benefit of older people in the area.

Christy Weatherby, head of services for Age Uk Bromsgrove and District, said some older people who live on their own tend not to cook for themselves and this can not only affect their physical health, but also their self-esteem and general well-being.

Age UK Bromsgrove and District has put on cookery courses for the over 50s before but never in partnership with another organisation, she said.

“Connect Bromsgrove has only just opened and it supports people to engage in the community. We have been in touch with Connect and had discussions about how we could work together as it was obvious we have a lot in common and in some cases we support the same people.

“We run a lot of activities at Amphlett Hall such as baking for people with dementia, arts and crafts and tai chi. We are always looking for opportunities to get people to reconnect with life and people who live on their own do not really cook for themselves or really look after themselves.

“Connect came up with this idea of the course. It will be a small group of about nine or 10 and we are hoping to create a really good bond in the group. It will be informal and intimate. We will have a tutor from the college and Connect are supporting their clients and we have asked for a volunteer to support our clients.”

She said the clients would be both male and female and while the Age UK ones will be over 50 years of age, the Connect ones will include younger clients too. “The feedback we get from older people is that they do not want to just be with other older people.

“It will be an excellent course and an excellent opportunity for individuals to meet and sit down and learn some skills and do some cooking, eat together and tidy up together.

“We cannot wait. It will be lovely and by Christmas I am sure the group will be cooking all sorts of things. We are really excited.”

Christy said the course was not just a hobby and successful clients would gain a nationally recognised qualification at the end of it.

“It is really healthy to keep learning and we are really pleased we are offering people in Bromsgrove of in the older age range a learning experience.”

Apart from learning cookery skills and techniques, the course will offer the chance find out about hygiene, shopping for food, cleaning up afterwards and even growing some food in the outdoor space at Amphlett Hall.

“They will have to get their own equipment which they can take home. We will be using some of the charity shops for that. Then they can take the recipes home and try them out. They will learn how to cook on a budget and how nice it is to have people around to eat with them.

“They will learn about healthy eating and sourcing ingredients locally. We are hoping it will build up self-esteem and their abilities. We want them to know how to take care of themselves and how it affects people.

“We hope, when spring comes, to be able to plant fruit and vegetables up to grow in pots and in the beds at Amphlett Hall so we can show the cycle of planting and cooking.”

Councillor Lucy Hodgson, Worcestershire County Council cabinet member for localism and communities, said: "We are really pleased to be working in partnership with Bromsgrove Age UK and Connect Bromsgrove on this adult learning course and I am very excited about this one in particular as it forms a key part of the national five ways to wellbeing programme.

“The skills that will be learned through the course are invaluable and could have a real positive impact on their health".

Di Perry from Bromsgrove Connect added: “This is a great opportunity forging community partnerships through accredited learning and connecting people with others. Individuals will gain new skills, improve their knowledge and discover that learning can be fun.

“These agencies have the opportunity to share their knowledge and community organised skills with individuals to improve people's quality of life and wellbeing."