GCSE food technology students at Tiverton High School have begun a fundraising drive to refit one of the classroom kitchens.

The school has joined The Food Education Trust to help turn around the attitudes of young people towards choosing healthy home cooking over processed convenience foods.

The Trust is funded completely by profits from the sale of two cookbooks by Romilla Arber – What’s for Dinner and What’s for Dinner, Second Helpings.

Set up in 2008, the aim of the trust is to assist schools which are striving to support students in making the right food choices.

The high school is selling the cookbooks to put money back into the Food Education Trust, and the school’s development officer, Mandy Slevin, hopes it can apply to the trust for part-funding of the kitchen refit.

She said: “We’re delighted to be working with Romilla and her team.

“We’re striving here to help our pupils learn the basic skills needed to create quick, healthy meals.

“We’re hoping to start an afterschool home cooking club soon, and the refit of the old, dated kitchen is essential to allow our young people to have a real, fit for purpose space to do this.”

As well as being able to apply for grants to the Food Education Trust, it offers guidance and support to schools when it comes to healthy eating.

The kitchen refit could cost up to £20,000, and the school hopes to raise most of the money through grants.

If anyone would like a copy of the cookbook it can be bought at the school for £17.50. The retail price is £26.

If anyone can support in any way with the refitting of the school classroom kitchen, they are urged to contact the school.