Families in need in the West Somerset area are receiving food packages in a new scheme which is also helping children learn how to cook simple, nutritious food.

Eye Can Cook combines a food parcel and weekly recipe which can be collected from Minehead Eye and is being distributed via the Home-Start volunteer network.

The scheme, which began last week, is being run by youth and community organisation Minehead Eye and food distribution charity FareShare.

Juls Haddow, the well-being outreach worker who devised the scheme, said: “As a youth service provider, Minehead EYE will always look at issues from the child’s perspective.

“We know that most children are spending long periods on ‘tech’ right now delivering their home schoolwork, and that children have lost access to many of their usual activities. At the same time, keeping families fed during lockdown is a pressing concern for local charities.

“Because we work closely with children and FareShare, we were well placed to put two and two together and come up with the Food Bag idea.”

Eye Can Cook, supported by the Lottery Covid Response Fund and the West Somerset Opportunity Area, takes bulk food donations and adds a few selected shop bought ingredients.

Staff at Minehead Eye find a simple recipe to match food availability and offer parcels to families they currently work with and those coming to them in need. The scheme is funded to run throughout the lockdown period.

Juls added: “The bag includes all the main ingredients to put a family meal together, with a recipe so easy that even very young children can assemble and cook it with a little supervision.

“The idea is to make family mealtimes an enjoyable learning experience, one that everyone can participate in and which keeps people nourished at the same time.

“We have encouraged people to send us pictures of their prepared meal and give us feedback. It’s going down a treat!”

Minehead EYE has been working with the West Somerset Opportunity Area and Fareshare for a couple of years, providing food for children during the school holidays.

Although temporarily shut due to Covid-19 restrictions, the hub is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday 10am-noon for food collections for families in need.