The Marlene Reid Centre has launched a new summer Family Cook Off scheme.

In addition to the centre's already successful HAF (Holiday Activities and Food) sessions, the MRC has been striving to create different and inclusive ways children and families can get together and receive both education and nutrition in their local communities.

The Oakland Foundation has made a donation which has supported the Belvoir Road-based centre's new Family Cook Off sessions

That has allowed MRC to buy in a number of portable kitchens, including a plug-in stove and basic kitchen essentials, to get started.

The Foundation's target group is children under the age of 16 and their families, focusing on the following themes:

• Education: to ensure children get the best education, no matter what their background is;

• Health and nutrition: to ensure children have access to healthy food

• Sport: to ensure children have access to sport and activities irrespective of social background or physical ability

MRC's Family Cook Off programme sees parents and children from HAF join together and get involved in some collaborative cooking with the centre's volunteers.

Each Thursday, through the summer HAF programme, MRC creates both meat and plant based versions of the same recipes, providing attendees with all the equipment and resources needed to make the dishes whilst giving guests cost saving tips and helping them to try out new recipe ideas with their families.

Here's what a few people have had to say about the Family Cook Off:

• "I had no idea I could cook like that. It's really opened my eyes and I can't wait to try this out myself at home"

• "I will definitely be making this. It's soo good!!

• "It was really nice to be able to share some of my experience with the older kids. You could see from the look on their faces how much they got out of the session"

The centre now in the process of planning more community cooking events to allow everyone to get involved and will announce them shortly.