Three Northamptonshire charities have been working together to help local families lead healthier lifestyles through the unifying power of food.

“Being part of the cooking class has been a wonderful experience for me and my family; we learnt how to prepare healthy meals for less…” 50 Families participant

Local families have been supported to make healthier food and cooking choices through a year-long initiative. 50 Families is a strategic philanthropic project, supported and funded by Northamptonshire Community Foundation on behalf of Food4Heroes, evaluated by University of Northampton, and delivered by Home-Start Northampton, Power of the Mind Networks, and The Spring Charity.

The charities promoted healthy, economical eating to help reduce pressures on 50 families who access their services, such as ongoing cost of living challenges.

50 Families also aimed to build people’s confidence and skills with healthier food and cooking and reduce social isolation, by encouraging families to connect with and support each other. Support included cooking workshops, peer learning, and culturally relevant food activities.

Although some interventions already exist (food banks, school holiday healthy eating), they only offer short-term solutions and very little for families to ‘take away’ and use in the home.

Academics at the University of Northampton – Associate Professor Dr Helen Caldwell, from the Centre for Active Digital Education and Dr Emel Thomas, from the Centre for the Advancement of Racial Equality – have completed a report about the impact of 50 Families.

Key findings include:
• 52% report an increased awareness of healthy eating and lifestyle choices.
• 59% felt either “very confident” or “confident” with their cooking at the end of the project
• Parents expressed confidence in their own health improving with 82% rating their health as average or better in the final survey.

Recommendations for future community cooking collaborations include:
• Fund beyond short-term pilots to support lasting health outcomes.
• Invest in fully equipped kitchens so families can cook together.
• Integrate affordable, family-friendly physical activity alongside food initiatives.

A toolkit has also been produced that gives practical sessions for families who wish to continue cooking together and to fit into busy lives in diverse homes. It can be found on page 37 of the report.

One participant said: “Before 50 Families I wasn’t a great cook… now I cook everything every day from fresh.” Another participant added: “It’s helped me plan meals better, waste less food, and feel more confident about putting nutritious meals together for my children.”

Rachel McGrath, CEO, Northamptonshire Community Foundation said: “50 Families shows the power of strategic, community-led philanthropy. By supporting families with practical food skills and confidence-building activities, we’ve seen real, lasting impact on health, wellbeing, and connection in our communities. We’re proud to have played a role in making this happen.”

John Brownhill, Founder, Food4Heroes, said: “When we launched Food4Heroes during the pandemic, we saw how access to nutritious food directly affected health outcomes, but emergency relief wasn’t enough.

“The 50 Families Project, developed with Northamptonshire Community Foundation and delivered by outstanding grassroots organisations, shows that practical, community-led food education can drive real, lasting change. Parents are cooking from scratch, children are trying new foods, and families are building confidence and connections beyond the kitchen.

“This project proves that dignity, collaboration, and prevention-focused investment can reduce inequality in meaningful ways, and we’re proud to have helped initiate a model that can be sustained and scaled to support more families.”

You can find out more about 50 Families here: ncf.uk.com/our-work/50-families