SEN-fit CIC: SEND cooking sessions

SEN-fit CIC in Heanor engaged 17 children aged between 5-15, per session, all of whom have some degree of SEND. The sessions include a variety of activities adapted for varying abilities centred around fitness, healthy eating and personal wellbeing.

Healthy eating has become a bigger part of the programme, with children being invited to become more involved in their lunch. Participants are encouraged to choose their meal and then go through the steps of making it themselves, the recipes included healthy homemade pot noodles and pizza wraps. After they have set the table, participants then dine together and enjoy the experience of eating, sharing and chatting whilst encouraging each other to try new things.

Participants were encouraged to use their imagination and creativity in sessions with staff supporting the young people to create and problem-solve. SEN-fit used sensory activities to support various activities each day, this winter these included indoor snow, sensory painting, sensory bags as well as enrichment sessions by Marvelous Me making gingerbread.

“We saw children engaging in activities outside of technology, waiting for their ‘friends’ sharing and supporting each other. We have watched this group grow in confidence with peers and in advocating for themselves about things they like or don’t like. We saw children trying things they had not before, this time we had persimmon fruit, sugar snaps, mango and cherries on offer, almost all of them enjoyed them all.” Fiona Ross, SEN-fit