Blogs

Film of the week: Edible Kitchen by Action for Children

Fundraising | Kirsty Weakley | 17 Aug 2012

Action for Children produced a short film following celebrity chef Paul Merrett’s visit to one of its schools for disadvantaged children, Kirsty Weakley provides a taster.

Parklands Campus is one of five schools run by Action for Children. It offers day, residential and fostering services for 23 boys and girls aged 11 to 19 and caters for pupils with behavioural, emotional, social and complex needs.

Edible Kitchen highlights the work that the Parklands School is doing to educate children about food and cooking as part of its curriculum. At seven minutes long, double the 'optimum' length for an online flick, I feared it may run the risk of becoming dull. Alas, I was wrong and through the use of musical montages and switching between different speakers I was kept engaged throughout.

The film shows celeb chef Paul Merrett meeting pupils at the Parklands Campus, and explains the journey of the cookery programme, where disadvantaged children have been growing, preparing and cooking their own food. It's a simple, cheerful film, designed to promote the good the charity is doing. And there's nothing wrong with that. The allotment space, tools and plants needed for the project were donated by the charity's corporate partner Total Greek Yoghurt, so they get a mention too...fine.

Merrett, resident chef on television cooking show Sunday Feast and frequent guest chef on Saturday Kitchen was clearly a welcome visitor and suitable commentator on the film. Parkland’s senco (special educational needs co-ordinator) Clementine Bannell explains that: “Children see a lot of stuff like that on the television and they know lots of chefs from the TV so they are really looking forward to being with a celebrity chef.”

Overall, this is a film that ticks a lot of boxes and hasn't stuck to rigid creative boundaries in place of sharing its message. 

Every Friday civilsociety.co.uk features an innovative use of film by a charity. If you would like to draw our attention to your charity's film, or even someone else's please email nikimay.young@civilsociety.co.uk.

Directory: Action for Children