Residents who are passionate about helping others are invited to get involved in a volunteering opportunity to become Food Champions across Warwickshire.
This latest round of volunteer recruitment follows the successful launch of the Food Champions role last year. Seventeen residents went on to complete the training and have since started helping to support and deliver local food projects across the county.
The aim of the role is to equip people with the right knowledge about how to eat more healthily, in ways that are affordable, and that contribute to the environment in more sustainable ways.
The County Council is now looking to expand its number of Warwickshire Food Champions to support local organisations and community groups with their food-related community projects.
The work of the volunteers will also support key priorities outlined in the Warwickshire Food Strategy 2023-2026, which has been developed to ensure there is a supply of good quality, healthy, and affordable food available for everyone across the county.
The opportunity is recommended for those who enjoy helping others, working with other people by sharing knowledge and ideas, and are eager to take on a meaningful challenge. No specific dietary expertise or formal qualifications are required. However, volunteers will be expected to provide guidance to community groups on key aspects of the Warwickshire Food Strategy and to support the main aims of this work.
To equip all volunteers with the necessary tools and knowledge, free online training sessions will be provided in November and December on a range of topics. These will cover ‘Kind Communities-Kind Food’, a County Council-led community engagement programme that provides live cooking demonstrations and information about how to adopt healthier lifestyles as well as other food-related community support.
A free online webinar will take place ahead of the four training sessions at 7pm Monday 14 October. This is a great opportunity for prospective Food Champions to ask questions about the role, the upcoming training sessions, and to meet the County Council contacts supporting this opportunity. If you would like to attend the webinar please contact Rina Sarna rinasarna@warwickshire.gov.uk, providing your name and contact details.