Charity Pick, Cook and Eat seeks funds for vulnerable students

BBC News

09-06-2025

A new charity is seeking funding to help it support more vulnerable young adults understand where food comes from and how to prepare nutritious meals.Pick, Cook and Eat aims to provide educational opportunities through activities such as horticulture, nutrition, food preparation and cookery across North Wiltshire.The charity is based in the gardens of Overtown Manor near Wroughton, and works with students with severe special educational needs from Horizon's College in Royal Wootton Bassett.Lucille Carter, who runs the vegetable garden, said: "This is something that the students absolutely love, planting the potatoes and digging them up afterwards. There's nothing more satisfying."
She added that the programme was important for adding variety into the student's - who are aged 16 to 24 - lives.
The project began in 2014 when the college approached Overtown Manor to ask whether they could send a couple of students on work experience placements to work in the garden.Student numbers subsequently grew when the college lost access to its own garden following the pandemic, resulting in eight students now attending on a weekly basis, with their support workers.The charity, which gained charitable status earlier this year, is hoping the funding will allow it to buy hand tools and raised planters and build a bigger shed.Charity administrator Rhona Edwards said: "We know from Horizon's College, and also from the local authority adoption service, that there is a need for more young people to be able to come to spend time in the garden, and in order to do that, we need some additional funding."