Strengthening Community Through Nutritious Food
Blog written by Sabira, student volunteer and a member of the CanTeam Crew at Bedford Academy
Introduction
CanTeam is a student-led organisation dedicated to promoting environmental sustainability and community service through various projects and events. By offering shared meal opportunities, it aims to address food insecurity while also fostering social interaction and enhancing the well-being of all members of our school community. I first heard about CanTeam from an email detailing what it was and that there was a volunteering opportunity for it. At first, I was not confident in participating, but after hearing from other volunteers, how well the pilot event ran, I decided to overcome my doubts and to participate.
My fellow volunteers and I helped organise the event, from decorating the canteen to deciding roles for everyone as well as helping clean up after the event had finished. By observing the event, I saw how students, teachers, parents, and community members had gathered to have sustainable meals and have enjoyable discussions with together. It created a sense of belonging and community, where everyone was happy and comfortable.
My CanTeam journey:
At first, I was hesitant and nervous to join as I am not the greatest at socialising and meeting new people, however with my volunteering for CanTeam, it has helped me develop and grow skills that will be useful for me in my personal and professional development. My teamwork and communication skills have prospered as I worked together with my classmates and other volunteers with planning and decorating to make sure the event went smoothly. It also allowed me to learn more about myself as I pushed my limits on interacting with strangers as I typically get anxious.
My greatest challenge is grasping opportunities straight away, but CanTeam has shown me to take advantage of opportunities that are presented to me as the meaningful experience outweighs the anxiety and fear. It has been a considerable experience for me to help bring the community together and proven that even slight changes can bring large positive impacts.
Final Thoughts:
I would most definitely recommend and encourage my peers to participate for CanTeam. I would say to not doubt yourself and to try new things as CanTeam has shown me how we can help the community and that volunteering can truly make a meaningful difference. You should not let things like fear obstruct you from taking valuable opportunities.
It was eye-opening and a truly enjoyable experience.
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.