Training & Building Capacity

Success Stories

In the past our team have partnered with Stirling Council and trained some of their staff from the Stirling Learning and Employability Team in REHIS How to Run a Cooking Group. With the support of their Line Manager and with ongoing training and support from our team, this has led to them setting up as their own REHIS Centre. They are now fully registered with REHIS and can now train their own staff in the following REHIS courses: Practical Cooking, Elementary Food & Health and How to Run a Cooking Group.

Caroline has recently trained staff from the Senior Phase and Youth Participation Team who are keen to roll out cooking for their youth groups. A recent survey by the team revealed that the young people wanted to learn cooking skills and do more physical activity at their clubs. Our team continue to support this work through providing further training, resources and advisory support.

I know the benefit of cooking with groups, not only in skills learned but also the positive impact on participants’ general wellbeing. I am delighted to have been able to share these skills and support the Youth Participation Team to provide similar opportunities for young people across Stirling. I simply would not have the capacity to deliver volume of projects to meet demand so it is great to work with like-minded colleagues across other teams to increase capacity. They also know their participants best so can deliver projects tailored to the needs of their groups.

Caroline Carmichael, Learning and Employability Officer, Stirling Council

Dylan Brownlee's Journey to a Job

Our Team have worked in partnership with Stirling Community Enterprise offering their staff various food and cooking training courses and qualifications. Dylan Brownlee was employed on a 6 months back to work contract as a peer support for lived experience mentor, when he approached our team with a keen interest to develop his cooking skills. Dylan attended a number of food, health and cooking training courses and he successfully managed to gain nationally recognised qualifications and certificates in the following REHIS Courses:- Elementary Cooking, Elementary Food & Health and Elementary Food Hygiene. He now uses the skills and knowledge that he has gained to engage with his clients through the delivery of food and cooking sessions. He offers support around budgeting skills and opportunities to cook from scratch and to make healthy meals go further. Dylan has worked very hard at gaining these qualifications and he has a real passion for what he does. Following on from his training, he is now a full time member of staff with Stirling Community Enterprise and is continually investigating how he can use his new knowledge and skills and share them with others. He has set up 'Soup & a Chat' with a group of volunteers and has undergone further REHIS How to Run A Cooking Group Training.