A cooking and nutrition course run by the Health and Wellbeing Services at St Mary’s University, Twickenham, in association with Age UK for men has proved a huge success.

The six-week programme, called Man with a Pan, is an initiative run by Age UK, in which students from the BSc Nutrition programme work with a group of about 12 men, over the age of 50, who receive an interactive nutrition talk, covering topics including food labels and food hygiene amongst others.

The participants are encouraged to cook for the purpose of healthy eating in order to control the amount of calories they are consuming.

The men then work with the BSc Nutrition students in a cookery lesson where they produce two to three dishes each session with the programme culminating with a social half hour with the participants and students sharing tips while enjoying the food they’re produced.

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Abbie Downey, the project manager, called the course a “really exciting and rewarding project."

Lawrence Jones, 92, said the course was “great fun”, he also joked that it was good to “get a nice meal out of it at the end...hopefully!”

Henry Camilleri, 62, described the course as a “great initiative” whilst his brother, Richard Camilleri, 58, said that the course was “particularly helpful in regards to nutritional information.”

Ms Downey added: “They have been able to apply their nutrition degree knowledge to real life situations and work with local members of their community.”

The course has proved such a triumph that it will now run on a regular basis, with a course currently running over the summer and the next six-week course beginning on 28th September.

Places can be booked by contacting Age UK Richmond on 020 8744 1965 or communityservices@ageukrichmond.org.uk.