Members of the Year 10 Cooking Group at King James I Academy have been spreading a little Christmas cheer by making homemade sweet treats for the residents and staff at Wear Valley Women’s Aid in Bishop Auckland.

Working with the school’s Food and Nutrition teachers, Mrs Lamb and Mr Blood, members of the after-school club baked everything from cupcakes and flapjacks to cheesecake and brownies, which were then packed with care into individual festive treat boxes. The Food Department at the Academy came up with the idea, and carried out the project for the first time, last Christmas because both students and staff wanted to show their support for the residents at the centre whilst thanking the staff for the important work they do. It was so successful, and so gratefully received that students were not only keen to do it again, they also want to make it an annual event for the Food Department.

Representatives from the centre, Paula Carling and Polly Angus visited King James in the last week of term to collect the boxes and meet the Cookery Club.