This Barnardo’s report of over 15,000 children revealed that almost 90% would like to do more cooking, and believe it should get more time in the curriculum.
In May 2023, Barnardo’s and the Co-op formed a partnership aimed at empowering 750,000 young people aged 10-25 across the UK. This initiative focuses on providing better access to food, improving mental wellbeing, and creating more opportunities for the future. However, young people growing up in poverty face significant challenges, and food insecurity remains a critical barrier to overcome.
Young people want to eat healthier and more ethical food, but affordability is a major issue. Many spoke about the importance of sharing meals with family and friends, but also noted that community food spaces often feel unwelcoming. Cooking lessons were a popular request, with young people seeing them as essential life skills and a way to build relationships with others.
An overwhelming 96% of those aged 16-25 called for more funded local food partnerships, emphasising that young people should play a direct role in shaping these initiatives. A significant 90% of all respondents agreed with this need for increased community involvement.
The idea of a UK-wide holiday food programme also gained strong support, with 92% of 16-25 year-olds in favor of making such a programme available in all local areas. Across all ages, 85% of respondents agreed.