New Kitchen welcomes pupils thanks to RAF partnership with Aberdeen Airport and Texo (26.10.23)

For the past three years, the Russell Anderson Foundation (RAF) has been working with Aberdeen’s Kirkhill Primary School, delivering physical activity and health and wellbeing programmes to the pupils. One major strand of the work has been to focus on healthy eating and, to this end, RAF, in partnership with Aberdeen Airport , kitted out a skills room at the school with basic cooking utensils, to assist with the delivery of cooking and food preparation classes..

As a gauge to the initiative’s success, Jacqui Alexander Class/Skills Hub teacher from Kirkhill Primary School commented. “One day earlier this year two dozen of our p6’s and p7’s volunteered in the hub and we served up over 200 plates in 90 minutes (we actually ran out of food). From taking orders to organising a production line, cutting, measuring, preparing, and cooking the food managing the logistics of getting the food to the correct customers, they were all amazing. Really super life and work skills, not to mention money making skills! We cleared over £200 profit for school funds.”

On hearing of the work being undertaken at Kirkhill and the positive impact it was having on the children and their families, Aberdeen based Texo offered to design and install a purpose-built kitchen area in the school to enhance the quality of the programme which was completed over the summer holidays just ended.

Chris Smith, Texo Group MD added, “When we were asked to participate in this amazing initiative, we knew straight away that this fitted perfectly into the Texo foundation vision. Richard Lamb Texo’s Workspace Solutions Director used every available resource to deliver a workspace environment that would allow staff at Kirkhill Primary School to maximise pupils’ potential through cooking and healthy eating education. Listening to the needs of the staff and seeing the results was one of the most rewarding challenges the whole team at Texo has faced to date. We cannot wait to taste some of the amazing food that come out of the kitchens

Russell Anderson added, “This has been achieved with a real partnership approach involving Aberdeen Airport, Kirkhill staff and pupils, Texo and ourselves and demonstrates just what can be done. As Jacqui has stated, this has resulted in a huge positive impact on the lives of pupils and their families and the installation of the new kitchen area takes the facilities to another level. Everyone is so grateful and appreciative of Texo’s involvement and the pupils are very proud of their new cooking area.”