A Hill West recipe book has been launched by best friends from the Sutton Coldfield school.
And by pouring bags of heart and soul into the new ‘lockdown’ cookery book, they’ve cooked up an idea that’s guaranteed to raise a smile – and funds – for two local charities.
The ‘Cooking to make you Smile in Lockdown’ recipe book has been lovingly created by year 4 pupils Anna, Ariella and Grace. It’s packed full of simple and delicious meals with all the ingredients to encourage children to get creative in the kitchen.
The three friends, who are all aged nine and in ‘Squirrels’ class, hope that the book will support two charities – and they have already raised £325 collectively. The Hill West Primary School Parents, Teachers and Friends Association (PTFA) PTFA raises much needed funds to support the school and the Birmingham Children’s Hospital delivered great care to Grace (one of the authors) throughout several operations.
The collaborative collection has been mixed, baked and packaged around a ‘virtual kitchen table’ via video chats and other socially distanced measures. It can be downloaded by customers cook, smile and eat with delicious recipes and a thank you to the hospital.
On their ‘Just Giving’ page, the budding chefs said: ‘We have written this Hill West recipe book during lockdown to share with you some recipes we have created and enjoyed cooking. More importantly, we have enjoyed eating them. Children should be able to cook them with a bit of help from a grown up.
‘It has given us three best friends a chance to keep in touch and work together virtually on an exciting project. We are super proud of what we have achieved. We hope you can support us by donating to this amazing charity.’
Dr Beth Clarke, headteacher of Hill West Primary School, part of the Arthur Terry Learning Partnership (ATLP), said: “This is such a wonderful book! I am so impressed and proud of Anna, Ariella and Grace for giving so much passion, talent and ingenuity to such a worthwhile project. These ‘Squirrels’ have excelled themselves and will have quite a tail to share with classmates!
“Cooking can serve many purposes. It brings people together and can be a great outlet for creativity and energy. During lockdown, we’ve seen some fantastic culinary creations from our families. At Hill West, we encourage healthy eating and independence and this book will be an inspiration to many, as well as supporting fantastic causes. I can’t wait to try these recipes out!”
“Anna, Ariella and Grace – against the current oddities – have shown their kindness and compassion for others through their beautifully crafted recipe book,”
– chris ellison
Class teacher, Chris Ellison, said: “Anna, Ariella and Grace – against the current oddities – have shown their kindness and compassion for others through their beautifully crafted recipe book. They are true role models to children – and adults – and have shown what can be achieved with dollop of friendship, a spoonful of care, and a sprinkling of enthusiasm – I couldn’t be a prouder teacher.”
Hill West recipe book
Dawn Adamthwaite, chair of Hill West PTFA, said: “We are so grateful to the girls and their families for including us and enabling us to support our school community. This is a fantastic idea that was cooked up by the three friends, with simple and fun recipes for all everybody to try. We hope it will be a popular addition to any kitchen!”
On their ‘Just Giving’ fundraiser, the young authors and cooks say that the book is a ‘thank you’ to Birmingham’s Children’s Hospital and the page features this message from the charity:
‘At Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, we believe there’s always more we can do for our sick kids and that’s why we will always strive to do more for our patients and families.
‘It’s our mission to raise the vital funds needed to make a real difference to all who use our hospital. Your support empowers us to take innovative approaches to treating some of the sickest children in the UK. Your fundraising enables us to make our hospital feel just like home. Your donations are helping us to find new ways to treat and cure childhood diseases.’
For more on Hill West, click here.
To support Hill West PTFA click here.