A TWEEDDALE cookery school has launched a new project to provide youngsters in the area with free training workshops.

You Can Cook’s new initiative ‘Food For Life’ was set up last month to get children in Innerleithen, Walkerburn and Traquair thinking about food and to teach them new skills.

The scheme is being funded by the Climate Challenge Fund and will run in partnership with St Ronan’s Primary and Walkerburn Primary school until March 2018.

Director Bosco Santimano told the Peeblesshire News: “Food for Life is a project targeting the local community and young people in Innerleithen, Walkerburn and Traquair, providing free training workshops on organic growing and healthy cooking with local seasonal foods on a budget.

Disadvantaged groups and individuals from these communities will be also targeted to provide training and support plus volunteering opportunities to practice their newly acquired skills.

“The Food for Life project will consolidate the edible garden built within the school grounds of St Ronan’s Primary School along with working at the newly acquired land at Walkerburn Primary school.

“Training will be provided to all interested in growing their own food either in their garden or on allotments.”

The new scheme will provide information, advice, and support to children, their parents and the wider community on how to grow their own ingredients, cook healthy local, seasonal meals and reduce food waste.

And pupils from the two primary schools will be able to share their skills and tips with each other. Bosco added: “Food waste sessions will be run in conjunction to help support the community in their fight against climate change, understanding food miles, carbon footprint, seasonal foods and other environmental topics.

“We will extend support to an additional 20 homes in the Walkerburn area while providing backup to the current 56 homes in Innerleithen we have helped support in home growing in the previous year.

“The legacy we will leave behind is another functioning and secure edible garden that will be used as a training site for the Walkerburn community and the wider Borders region to access affordable training on how to grow your own food using organic methods.

“At You Can Cook we truly believe that projects like these have a lasting legacy if all the stakeholders are given an opportunity to express and share their ideas, and are given ownership right at the beginning of the process.”

For further information please visit the group’s Facebook page at facebook.com/YouCanCookScotland.