In a time of processed and fast foods, taking part in a workshop at Sparks run by the Global Goals Centre helped give a group of Cub Scouts a chance to step back and think about how they could be changemakers, by thinking differently about the food they eat and the positive action they can take for the planet. 

As part of a food themed workshop, Cotham Cubs had a chance to enjoy the Sparks bus, interactive activities and role play. They loved learning about where their food comes from. Our food workshop encourages young people to consider what impact our food choices have on the natural environment and people, and we had lots of activities planned to explore this in a fun and interactive way! Gathering in the shop just after closing time there was so much to see and we started with a tour of the ground floor. 

The workshop focuses on food production, thinking about animal welfare, the planet and health, We started by exploring the journey our food makes and the distance travelled by a chocolate bar (over 1500 miles!). During the tour the cubs imagined themselves to be parts of a cocoa pod and explored the amount of waste of valuable resources that results from chocolate production.

They worked together on problem solving activities and after a chance to ‘drive’ the bus in the department of travel, and, after a trail around the Reparium and installations we returned to the department of discovery to investigate the benefits of different types of burgers to health, animal welfare and planet. 

We then spent some time thinking about food production methods using real life case studies from farmers in the UK; a cattle farmer, insect farmer and vegetable protein producer. The young people did not shy away from difficult questions and engaged with the production methods through role play.

It turned out that many of the cubs had already eaten insects, and agreed that they can be a delicious snack (especially when coated in chocolate!). We talked about how they might help us continue to feed all the people on planet earth.

The session was a lot of fun and the Cubs really brought their energy, enthusiasm and bright ideas along with them! The leaders thought the session was great and praised the workshop leader’s facilitation of the session. At the end of the workshop the cubs gave us some great feedback. They felt the workshop would help them be a cub because:

“it teaches you different ways on how to help the world”

“It helps you make the right choices”

“It helps us learn about climate change and how and why we need to stop it”

“To learn about the planet and how to save it”

“It helps people learn about making better choices with food”

“I think people should visit Sparks because it teaches people and encourages us to think about how to stop climate change”

Our award winning workshops make a great trip for Cubs, Scouts, Explorers, Brownies, Guides and Rangers who are working towards an Eco Award, or scout activity badges such as environmental conservation, community impact, craft, writer  and global issues. global issue. For a complete guide to our workshops and how they can help with work towards scout badges take a look at our Badge Guide here. 

Pen Williams – Workshop Manager, Global Goals Centre