Healthy eating has gone into ‘extra time’ at one local school thanks to help from the Town Foundation; the official registered charity of Huddersfield Town. 

Already a beneficiary of one of the charity’s ‘Early Kick-Off’ breakfast clubs, school partner Westborough High School in Dewsbury has now pioneered an initiative to teach it’s students vital cookery skills after the home time bell. 

Named the ‘Extra Time Cookery Club’, this scheme has been made possible by the donations of generous Town fans and businesses alike, with the charity funding the purchase of cooking equipment and of provisions on a weekly basis moving forward. 

The optional cookery club is available to all of Westborough’s 11-16 year olds and gives them the skills and knowledge to cook their own healthy food. 

The Town Foundation’s Mandy Taylor explained:

“The Town Foundation is always looking at different ways that it can improve the lives of children and young people in our area to supplement the enormously successful ‘Early Kick-Off’ breakfast club project, which now serves over 1,000 breakfasts every morning. 

“Westborough’s breakfast club has just celebrated its first birthday earlier this week and is now catering for 100 pupils a day, so the new ‘Extra Time Cookery Club’ will help the students even further – giving them the knowledge to provide for themselves.  

“The school had previously run a cookery club of a similar nature, but attendance was dwindling and the school was struggling to fund it. I’m delighted we could step in and revitalise it.  

“Hopefully we will have a visit from a Huddersfield Town player in the coming weeks to see how things are progressing!” 

Gayna Goalby, Extended Schools Coordinator at Westborough High School, added: 

“We have had 20 pupils at each cooking club since the launch. Pupils are so enthusiastic about attending and with the help of the Town Foundation we have been able to create a real buzz around cooking. 

“Thank you to the Town Foundation for this opportunity. The people who support the charity are doing more for these young people than they will ever realise.”