Bringing The Community Back Together
Blog written by Kosy, student volunteer and a member of the CanTeam Crew at Bedford Academy
Introduction
I received an update from our school’s community leader about a project called CanTeam which was interested in partnering with our school to promote healthy eating while bringing the community closer together. Intrigued by the idea, I quickly joined the project and gathered a group of classmates who shared an interest in this event.
During the first CanTeam event in June, I served drinks and tidied the canteen as the event went on. Participating in this event increased my determination to engage in similar events that promote a stronger sense of community within the school, encouraging me to volunteer at our school’s second CanTeam event in July, in which I served food to the families from the primary schools linked to our academy and assisted on the pre-loved table.
It has been rewarding to see the positive influence we can have when we work together towards a common goal. I am looking forward to exploring more opportunities to make a difference and contribute to building a healthier and more connected community.
My CanTeam journey:
Through my involvement with CanTeam, I was taken out of my comfort zone- receiving the opportunity to improve my social skills, project management and teamwork abilities. I’ve become more confident in taking part in any future community events to bring back a sense of unity to our school community.
Something I had to overcome while taking part in this event, was time management, it was challenging to fit CanTeam events into my schedule due to school trips and personal commitments, so I missed part of the first event and almost missed the second event, but I was able to rearrange my schedule to be able to attend both events. This experience made me realise the importance of leaving room in my schedule for new experiences that may require some of my time.
Most importantly, my experience with CanTeam has increased my passion for volunteering in community events, understanding that small events such as CanTeam can contribute to a positive impact in people’s lives.
I’m determined to make a difference through my involvement with CanTeam.
Final Thoughts:
Skills and experiences gained from participating in a CanTeam event reach far beyond the immediate setting. The skills gained from this event allow you to shape and elevate your future in ways you may not yet realise. Even if the career path you pursue seems distant from community-based initiatives, the social skills, collaboration, project management, and teamwork cultivated at CanTeam events can profoundly impact your journey. Through these experiences such as CanTeam, you can foster a strong sense of community and teamwork in any situation.
A heart-warming experience, bringing the community back together.
Background:
CanTeam is an after school social dining initiative co-designed with young people that encourages students and their families to enjoy nutritious, delicious and diverse foods together.
Launched by Future Foundations in June 2023, CanTeam aims to embed a transformative food culture within schools, enabling young people to learn and thrive.
Over the first 6 months of the initiative, CanTeam was funded and supported by the Big Change Big Education Challenge to develop the concept, consult beneficiaries and test the idea. In January 2024, CanTeam was announced a winner of the Big Education Challenge and is being supported by Big Change to scale across the UK.
In partnership with HEART Academies Trust and Bedford Academy Future Foundations delivered a two-event pilot of CanTeam. The first was focused on Year 7 and 8 students and the second was opened up to local primary school families. The catering was provided in-house by Russell Abbey, Head of Catering Services at HEART Academies Trust. Many of the ingredients were kindly donated by Allmanhall.
We are excited to continue developing CanTeam and the impact we can have on the health and wellbeing of young people and their families throughout the UK.
BIG NEWS – CanTeam, is a winner of the Big Education Challenge
Future Foundations, the organisation behind CanTeam, has been awarded £225,000 to develop and pilot at scale the idea. The £1m prize fund is the first of its kind run by education charity Big Change and was set up to identify, support and reward bold ideas with the potential to transform education and learning in the UK. Click here to find out more.
Find out more:
- Read an article published by Bedford Today about the launch of CanTeam at Bedford Academy here
- Read about the Challenge here
- Read about CanTeam, our BIG idea for change here
Get in touch, if you think you can help…
- Email: jon@future-foundations.co.uk
We are looking for schools and partners who share our vision and can help us pilot CanTeam at scale.