Vivid Plus gives Park Community School £20,000 to help tackle food poverty

A housing firm’s charitable arm has given £20,000 to Park Community School to try to tackle food poverty and inequality across Hampshire.
By Sophie Lewis
Published 15th Aug 2022, 20:35 BST
Updated 15th Aug 2022, 20:38 BST
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Vivid Plus has donated £20,000 to the Park Community School which will be used to further help the school’s Munch for Community Food Pantry, which offers affordable food to people in the area.

The money will be put towards cooking classes, led by experts, for local families to encourage healthy, low cost meals that can be managed efficiently.

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The project between the school and Vivid Plus, which has taken on the title ‘Grow it, Cook it, Eat it’, is going to provide a chef which will be in the school’s kitchen for four months and will showcase cooking skills with ingredients taken from the on-site garden.

From left, Park Community School headteacher Chris Anders, Vivid partnership manager Sarah Smith, the school's business and community manager Susan Parish and Vivid's head of communities, standards and partnerships Derek StreekFrom left, Park Community School headteacher Chris Anders, Vivid partnership manager Sarah Smith, the school's business and community manager Susan Parish and Vivid's head of communities, standards and partnerships Derek Streek
From left, Park Community School headteacher Chris Anders, Vivid partnership manager Sarah Smith, the school's business and community manager Susan Parish and Vivid's head of communities, standards and partnerships Derek Streek

Derek Streek, head of communities, standards and partnerships of Vivid said: ‘Producing healthy, nourishing but low-cost meals can be a great source of concern with the increased cost of living so prevalent.

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‘This partnership with Park Community School seeks to address food inequality and health in the community head on, and feeds into Vivid Plus’s wider focus of ensuring safe, secure and productive communities around our homes.’

Vivid Plus, which is the charitable aspect of Vivid which is a housing company, aims to help customers and people in the local community to take control of their well being and ensure that they are maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

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This is only one in a long line of projects that the school has been a part of to help create healthier environments and aid local people, particularly in the current climate where food poverty is on the rise.

Park Community School values their garden space on site and encourages students to get horticulturally friendly and also aids their educational learning.

Christopher Anders, headteacher of Park Community School, said: ‘With the support of Vivid and continuing the work of the Munch Community Food Pantry we are hoping to help local families and inspire them to cook a whole range of meals, using lots of different ingredients from fresh vegetables to tins and packets that everyone has in the cupboard.’

Related topics:Hampshire