Peak Active Sport: Food workshops with Hakuna Fruitata
Peak Active Sport was founded with the mission of making sports and physical activity accessible to everyone in the High Peak area and beyond. Based in Hadfield, Peak Active Sport has worked for 19 years to build relationships within their community, particularly with young people, helping them overcome challenges through sport and outdoor activities and has taken part in the Derbyshire Holiday Activity and Food programme since 2023.
One of the aims of the Holiday Activity and Food programme is to increase children and young people’s awareness of healthy eating, healthy lifestyles and positive behaviours.
During the Spring holidays, Peak Active Sport holiday clubs participated in the “Hakuna Fruitata” project, which aims to provide practical, interactive and engaging nutritional workshops for young people aged 5-16 so they can experience more food-based activities in a ‘no worries’, ‘no pressure’ environment.
“Not only did the children have fun, but they also had the opportunity to try new fruits and vegetables. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with the kids excited about tasting unfamiliar fruits and learning about healthy eating in a hands-on way.” Mark Jennings, Director
The sessions guided children and young people as they made fruit kebabs, fruit faces and even created a fruit Jenga – a fun twist on the classic game using fruit!
“The fruit kebabs were so cool, and I liked tasting all the different fruits. I want to make them at home!” Child/ Young Person
The activities are designed to be engaging and educational, promoting creativity, teamwork and a love for healthy food.
“I appreciate how the programme focuses on healthy eating. My kids are usually picky, but they’re trying new fruits now and that’s a big win!” Parent/ Guardian
The funding from the Holiday Activity and Food programme has enabled Peak Active Sport to provide essential resources, including arts and craft supplies, fresh fruit for healthy meals and equipment for interactive games.
“Overall, HAF funding has played a critical role in supporting our mission to create accessible, inclusive and impactful programme that promotes both physical and mental wellbeing within the High Peak area.” Mark Jennings, Director
The funding has also helped Peak Active Sport to strengthen their team, enabling them to bring in additional staff to support the growing demand for their programme.
“The funding has been invaluable in enabling our organisation to provide free, high-quality holiday activities to children and families in the community. It has allowed us to expand our reach, offering fun and educational programmes that would not have been possible otherwise.” Mark Jennings, Director
This increase in staffing has meant Peak Active Sport has been able to increase the spaces available to eligible children and young people in their local area, giving them access to a happy, healthy holiday experience.
“It’s been a huge relief having these activities available. My children loved every moment and came home excited to share what they had made and learned.” Parent/ Guardian