2024 Community Food Initiatives safefood Project
Co Armagh Community Development (CACD) have been awarded funding from safefood as part of their Community Food Initiatives 2022-2024 programme.
Our Small Projects under the Community Food Initiatives programme funded by safefood have started for 2024. We must thank safefood for funding this programme and to the SHSCT for providing the Slow Cookers.
Turkey Cooking Time Calculator
Use the Safefood turkey cooking time calculator to make sure your turkey stays moist and juicy, without being under-cooked.
This calculator is weight based and works for stuffed and unstuffed whole turkeys, turkey crowns, and boned and rolled turkeys.
Is the Turkey done yet?
Your turkey is perfectly cooked when the thickest part has reached 75ºC. Use a meat thermometer to make sure you do not undercook or overcook your turkey.
When cooking your turkey it’s important to check that it is cooked thoroughly, as this will kill any bacteria that could cause food poisoning. On the other hand overcooking the turkey will dry it out.
Check out the video from Safefood on cooking your turkey.
Voucher Winners
At our community event we did a draw for participants to win one of 4 £25 vouchers to be spent on fruit and vegetables from a local farm shop. Our prize winners were Victoria Simpson, Claire Campbell Olga Reaney and Nathan Weir. Nathan very kindly donated his prize to a local food bank. Thank you to everyone who visited our stand on the day.
Community Event 2
We recently hosted our second community event at Country Comes to Town in Portadown, which celebrates the joys of country life with music, crafts, and plenty of family-friendly attractions! There were a variety of information stalls along with many vendors selling unique items. CACD set up an interactive information stand and generously gave away 150 healthy fruit pots to children. We also provided information leaflets for parents and had fun brainstorming healthy lunchbox ideas with kids using resources from PHA. It was a wonderful day filled with community spirit!
‘Back to School’ focus on the Public Health Dietitians YouTube channel
Click on the images below to access the forms and following videos.
Community Event 1 – Feel Good Armagh
This was a one of a kind, well-funded, Annual Event in Armagh City bringing together all the local service providers. This year they held it outdoors on The Mall in Armagh City. It was advertised as a Community Information Day with information provided on support services for adults and families. We felt that by linking into this established event our Community Food Initiatives Community Event got more attention and was better attended than previous events we organised ourselves.
We provided an information stand and gave away healthy fruit pots to the children so they can try fresh fruit. We made our stand interactive and give people the opportunity to understand food labelling. We had examples of Healthy Lunch Box ideas with resources available from PHA. There was also a visual display of sugar content in different drinks, cereals, biscuits etc. We also provided an extensive range of safefood information leaflets and resources from safefood and the SHSCT Cook It team for participants to take home.
At this we had an opportunity to promote our small projects and took names for those interested in completing them. For those who were unable to attend on the day can forward their service’s information and contacts, and the organiser’s produced a resource to distribute which contains as much support for all ages in Armagh. This was an A5 sized booklet and was also available online.
Small Project 2
Our second Small Project under the Community Food Initiatives programme funded by safefood was a “Making the Most of your Slow Cooker” course in Benburb Orange Hall and participants from the surrounding area. This group anted the course delivered in person each week which we were happy to oblige.
Fiona Smyth & Lottie McCullagh, who have received training from by SHSCT Cook it! Team Dietitian, and using the resources given by them delivered a practical nutrition education programme which empowered participants to use a slow cooker, shop smarter and make healthier food choices. Topics covered included: Eatwell guide, Basic Food Safety, Batch cooking, Store cupboard, Meal Planning & Shopping Tips. Participants received a slow cooker if they didn’t already own one, and the slow cooker recipe book, which is a step-by-step guide to support the family to make healthier meals based on the Eatwell Guide.
Other resources we were able to give were:
-Frozen pre-chopped Vegetables that can be added to slow cooker recipes
-Slow Cooker Recipe Costings
-Food Safety: What to do with Leftover Food
– Also each was given the 101 Square Meals recipe book, within the pack with all the other safefood literature and a portion plate.
Participants received a food bag which they cooked a nutritious family meal in their slow cooker each week.
Week 1: Irish Stew / Rice Pudding
Week 2: Veggie Curry / Chilli Con Carne Beef
Week 3: Spicy Lentil & Tomato Soup / Chicken & Vegetable Casserole
Week 4: Potato and Leek Soup / Pasta with tomato and mascarpone sauce
Again we need to thank safefood for funding this programme and to the SHSCT for providing the Slow Cookers.
Small Project 1
The Friends of the Folly have a group of parents currently working their way through our latest “Making the Most of Your Slow Cooker” Course. The first evening was held in the Grove Nursery School, Armagh when there was a detailed presentation on using Slow Cookers. The group received a lot of tips on how to get the best results from the Slow Cooker and how to adapt their own recipes.
The first recipes were Irish Stew and Rice Pudding. Families enjoyed both dishes with the Irish Stew being very popular and definitely on the “Make again” list. Some of the children even wanted it packed in a flask to take to school for lunch.
The rice pudding is not something most of the families had made before and they were pleasantly surprised with the results. Timing is critical to ensure it doesn’t get too dry.
Week 2 was delivered on zoom as suited the participants better for not needing babysitters or because of children’s activities and topics we covered were the Eatwell guide and the main food groups. Recipes for the week were Beef Chilli and a Vegetable Curry.
The Vegetable Curry, as always had a divided reception with some loving it and others not so much. A few people added chicken to keep their families happy!!
Week 3 we again delivered on zoom and we looked at Meal planning & writing a shopping list, Top tips for shopping, Getting the best deal – Branded Vs Unbranded and also Supermarket tactics
The families got to cook a Spicy Lentil & Tomato Soup and a Chicken & Vegetable Casserole
Comments were made about the spiciness of the soup and how it could be adjusted or maybe add bacon to it. The Chicken & Vegetable casserole was a big hit with all families enjoying it.
The final week we delivered the session on Store cupboard staples, Food waste and Batch cooking. Everyone couldn’t believe how quickly the four weeks passed and were sad to be at their final week. This week’s recipes and ingredients were for Potato and Leek Soup and Pasta with tomato and mascarpone sauce. When we do this week most participants say they have never cooked or had never known that pasta dishes could be made in the slow cooker. Both these dishes are always a big family favourite and we have had feedback in the past to say that they have been added to the family’s staple menu list.
Community Event 1:
Feel Good Armagh event on 9th June at Armagh City Hotel
This was a one of a kind, well-funded, Annual Event in Armagh City bringing together all the local service providers. It is run over 2 days – day one being support services for adults and families with day 2 concentrating on support and services for young people aged 13-18. We felt that by linking into this established event our Community Food Initiatives Community Event would reach a wider spectrum of people and have more impact. This was proved correct by the fact that there were 57 stands in attendance and 280-300 people in attendance on the day. We provided an information stand which was interactive and gave people the opportunity to understand food labelling through a quiz sheet, which they then used to enter into a draw for fruit packs and veggie boxes. We had illustrations of levels of fat and sugar in food labels to correspond to the answers of the quiz.
We provided an extensive range of safefood information leaflets and resources from safefood and the SHSCT Cook It team for participants to take home. We promoted our small projects and took names for those interested in completing them. We gave away 6 fruit packs and 6 veggie boxes during the event which attracted a lot of attention..
Our visual display of sugar content in different drinks, cereals, biscuits etc. was a real talking point and many visitors paying real attention to the sugar content in the items displayed. There were a few young children attending with parents and we got them involved by identifying some fruit and vegetables.
This event supported the following CFI themes
Supporting community awareness/knowledge around healthy eating
Improving the availability and access to safe and healthy food in the community and complementing existing structures that offer healthy options, e.g. community café’s, events etc.
Healthy shopping
Transform your trolley leaflets, raising awareness of traffic lights on packaging etc
Small Projects: Three Delivered
“Making the most of your slow cooker”
For each project we delivered 1 in person session and 3 further sessions via zoom of “Making the most of your slow cooker” to 19 families in 2023. These families were from the Tassagh area, Loughgall and The Folly area of Armagh. These workshops are a practical nutrition education programme to empower participants to use a slow cooker, shop smarter and make healthier food choices. Topics covered included: Eatwell guide, Basic Food Safety, Batch cooking, Store cupboard, Meal Planning & Shopping Tips.
On the first evening of each project we met with the participants in a local venue and participants received a slow cooker if they didn’t already own one, and the slow cooker recipe book, which is a step-by-step guide to support the family to make healthier meals based on the Eatwell Guide.
Other resources we gave were:
-Information guide re Frozen pre-chopped Vegetables that can be added to slow cooker recipes
-Slow Cooker Recipe Costings
-Food Safety: What to do with Leftover Food
– Also each was given the 101 Square Meals recipe book, within the pack with all the other safefood literature and a portion plate. The families taking part also received a food bag with which they cooked two nutritious family meals each week in their slow cooker.
The following three sessions were held on zoom and covered The Eatwell Guide, Meal Planning and use of Food Planning.
The families all enjoyed the opportunity to cook in their slow cookers and make various recipes that they hadn’t tried before. All have continued to use the slow cookers as part of their weekly routine after the courses finished.
Community Event 2:
Summer Programme Family Day organised by Oasis Youth Centre. Portadown on Friday 4th August, 10.00-1.00pm in CIP Centre, 7 Foundry Street, Portadown, BT63 5AB
This was our second event and again was organised by someone else. This meant that the organisers recruited the other stands and advertised for attendees to come. This was their annual event & they expected 180/200 (120 children & Young people and rest parents). They also run similar schemes at Easter and Halloween so know their target audience. We felt this took a lot of pressure off us and we could put our efforts into having a fun and interactive stand (with resources provided by Public Health Agency and safefood) that attendees came and spent some time at. Giving away free fruit pots meant people came to us and we were able to explain who we were and what our project was about. By doing the “quiz” (questions provided by Public Health Agency) and filling in their contact details to enter a draw for the fruit or the veg hamper meant we were able to get contact details from them to add to our own mailing lists which will keep them informed of future projects.
As this was a quite a big Community event we got the opportunity to raise community awareness and knowledge around healthy eating. By concentrating on Food labelling, we were able to make participants more aware of healthy shopping choices touching on budgeting and planning ahead. Also, by giving quality vegetables and fruit boxes as prizes we would encourage people to buy local and better fresh produce and less high fat, high sugar snacks.
CFI Themes we met by doing this stand were:
• Supporting community awareness / knowledge around healthy eating
• Healthy shopping CFI Themes
• Preventing food wastage through budgeting and food/meal planning skills
• Improving the availability and access to safe & healthy food in the community, complementing existing structures offering healthy options: community café’s, street parties.
Quotes from the Community Event
“I have learned so much from talking to you. Those sugar contents are horrendous!!”
“Our favourite stall because of the fruit pots” from 2 teenage helpers
2022 Community Food Initiatives safefood Project
1st Community Event
As our first community event as part of this programme we are delivering a
Family Health Fair
in Altnaveigh House Newry
on Wednesday 14th September 2022 from 10.30am – 12.30pm.
The main focus of the fair will be on children & their family’s health.
This event is aimed at parent’s who have the ultimate control over their children’s health and well being.
Present will be a range of literature or resources that encourage healthy eating, physical activity, information on health services available and other local health and wellness related resources for participants to take home.
This will also be a great opportunity for Support agencies & organisations to:
• maintain contact with existing clients and meet their families.
• work with hard-to-reach families.
• showcase the value and benefits of their project to leverage funding for their projects from other sources.
2nd Community Event
Our 2nd community event is a Healthy Cookery Demonstration to show that Christmas Cooking and using up the leftovers can be done in a healthy manner. There will also be hints and tips on pre-planning and preparation.
Some photographs from the Cookery Demonstration
Joanna talked us through preparing and freezing a curry sauce in advance of Christmas and adding leftover turkey to make easy meal over the holiday period. This was accompanied by flavoured brown rice and homemade Nann bread.
Desert was a mix of mincemeat. apples and pear crumble followed by low sugar spiced cookies.
Small Projects
Over the course of 4 weeks we delivered “Making the Most of you Slow Cooker” course on zoom to 17 families.
This course was delivered by Fiona Smyth & Lottie McCullagh who have received training from a SHSCT Cook it! Team Dietitian and using the resources given by the PHA.
We delivered 4 sessions via zoom of this practical nutrition education programme to empower participants to use a slow cooker, shop smarter and make healthier food choices. Topics covered included: Eatwell guide, Basic Food Safety, Batch cooking, Store cupboard, Meal Planning & Shopping Tips. Participants received a slow cooker if they didn’t already own one, and the slow cooker recipe book, which is a step-by-step guide to support the family to make healthier meals based on the Eatwell Guide.
Other resources we gave were:
-Frozen pre-chopped Vegetables that can be added to slow cooker recipes
-Slow Cooker Recipe Costings
-Food Safety: What to do with Leftover Food
– Also each was given the 101 Square Meals recipe book, within the pack with all the other safefood literature and a portion plate.
Participants received an ingredient bag each week to cook a provided recipe, this allowed them to make a nutritious family meal in their slow cooker each week.
Week 1: Irish Stew
Week 2: Veggie Curry & Rice
Week 3: Chicken & Vegetable Casserole
Week 4: Potato and Leek Soup and Rice Pudding
The participants will be able to communicate to one another in the WhatsApp group we created after they gave consent under our GDPR policy guidelines and they did offer advice to any variations or suggestions for that week’s cooking.
We were able to give participants a laminated menu planner and shopping list template that they can use with a whiteboard marker every week.
Have a query?
Email: info@cacd.org.uk
Call Us
Tel: 028 3755 2103
Fax: 028 3755 2103
Find Us
27A Main Street
Markethill
Co. Armagh
BT60 1PH
County Armagh Grand Orange Lodge Community Development Committee Limited is a registered charity in Northern Ireland NIC 104165.
A company limited by guarantee. Registered company in Northern Ireland NI 057064
Registered address: 27a Main Street, Markethill, Co Armagh BT60 1PH.