Tasty treats served up at nursery thanks to credit union

Jul 6 2012 by Lynn Jolly, Paisley Daily Express

TALENTED parents cooked up a treat for staff at a Paisley-based credit union to thank them for their support.

The mums and dads at the Glenburn Pre-Five Centre have been baking and cooking healthy meals as part of a project which aims to help improve their childrens behaviour.

Now they have used the skills they learned in the cookery classes funded by Scotwest Credit Union to whip up some delicious cupcakes and scones as a thank-you present.

The course is part of Renfrewshire Councils wider package of support for parents who need help to deal with their childrens behaviour.

The help on offer also includes the Triple P and Incredible Years parenting programmes.

Councillor Iain McMillan, convener of the councils Community and Family Care Policy Board, said: Research published in the British Journal of Nutrition has found that what children eat can affect their behaviour and their ability to learn.

In a study by the Food Standards Agency, 60 per cent of parents said theyd like to make their childrens diet healthier but that the cost of food often stopped them.

These classes are a step towards giving parents the skills and confidence they need to make these important changes in their childrens lives.

Brenda Rankin, depute head at the pre-five centre, said parents have learned how to cook better on a budget.

She added: This project is about helping parents improve their budgeting skills and make healthier meals for their kids.

Scotwest Credit Union has given us a £250 grant from its Making a Difference Fund and thats exactly what these classes do. They give parents a real confidence boost.

The parents get advice about ingredients and recipes and weve used the grant to buy the utensils that many of them dont have at home.

Our next step is to work towards gaining hygiene certificates. Some of our parents have never earned any sort of certificate and this is a big step forward for them.

Parents make meals at the centre and then take them home to their children. A lot of lone parents often dont see another adult all day and can feel very isolated, so theres a social dimension to the classes as well.

Maureen Boyle, our enhanced nursery officer, takes the cooking sessions and has got on great with everyone.

Shes built up a very strong relationship with the parents and really motivates them. Theyll often seek out Maureen at other times when they have difficulties.

Coincidentally, the credit union boss who went along to see how his donation has helped is named GORDON RAMSAY . . . but hes not the famous TV chef from Johnstone.

Mr Ramsay, who is director of Scotwest Credit Union, said: The Making a Difference fund is the first of its kind throughout the credit union movement and it has been a great success.

The work by everyone involved at the Glenburn Pre-Five Centre is a perfect example of that.