VENNER, a social enterprise that aims to tackle food poverty and improve the health and well-being of British families, has partnered with the Montessori Group and Nurseries to help low-income families in Liverpool and Manchester by providing healthy, plant-based products Prescription boxes and nutritional support and education to encourage families to take control of their health and wellbeing.
Working with Montessori and tree nurseries to identify the families who will benefit most, Venner is providing their plant-based food boxes free of charge. Each weekly box contains all the ingredients for five dinners, light snacks, fruit and breakfast for children. Families will also receive a recipe book and meal planner with instructions on how to prepare and prepare meals, as well as access to additional recipes and inspiration from Venner‘s free online platform – Venner Kitchen.
The approach aims to encourage the whole family to prepare meals together, understand what they are eating, provide education about why it is important, and help families with budgeting and meal planning; This allows future generations to take control of their health and wellbeing.
Studies have shown that food poverty can mean poor diet, which then leads to deterioration in physical health and wellbeing. In the case of children, this can impair their academic performance and thus perpetuate the cycle of poverty. Poor diet in childhood can also lead to long-term development problems. The partnership aims to counter the disadvantages of poor nutrition by introducing an inexpensive, nutritious alternative to Venner boxes.
Both organizations share the same child-centered values and are committed to equality in child development and believe that every child has the right to reach their full potential in life, with good nutrition being key. The partnership will initially focus on Manchester and Liverpool, with plans to expand across the UK.
Venner, UK Country Manager, Laura Holland said:
“Social enterprise Venner was founded in Finland in 2018 when the founders discovered that disadvantaged families felt that healthy eating was too expensive for their budget and that they were therefore more susceptible to the negative effects of poor diet. By introducing an alternative diet as well as ongoing educational support, we have seen that we can positively influence families’ cooking routines, and by working with Montessori we will be able to reach families in need quickly and provide the benefits to more children a nutritional diet to give them the best chance in life. The Montessori Group is committed to the equality of children in the long term, so access to their network and their expertise will be of inestimable value for our common goal. “
Academic Quality and Partnerships Director Karen Chetwynd of Montessori Center International (part of the Montessori group) said:
“Being in the heart of local communities, Montessori kindergartens understand the need for support during a key phase of a child‘s development. friends‘s program will help create a new household routine, instill new skills for parents and their children, create a positive outlook on healthy eating and create respect for personal health. The boxes also show that healthy eating doesn’t have to be expensive. We are very much looking forward to handing out Venner boxes and recreating the social enterprise’s success in its home country Finland with families across the UK. “
