“Promoting Immunity in the Community”
“If you want to teach people a new way of thinking, don’t bother trying to teach them. Instead, give them a tool, the use of which will lead to new ways of thinking.”
5+5 a day CIC is owned by myself and I have spent ten years trying to narrow the divide among the classes. My journey began in New Zealand (NZ). I have ‘Nourished and Educated’ thousands of children who were going to school on an empty stomach as well as not receiving a free school lunch. Moreover, educating them about climate change and sustainability and all the other components of my 5+5 a day programme. More than ever in these unprecedented times the importance of, ‘hand washing’ has become an integral part of our daily routines, therefore, this is a message I have pushing for nearly 10 years. Families who are on benefits are not the only people struggling in these unprecedented times, we are seeing a huge surge in the ‘Working Poor’.
My, war on poverty and inequality is an ongoing effort. Therefore, I founded the; 5+5 a day programme and returned to the UK in order to implement a pilot programme, available to everyone.
Equality in Education and Communities
Just like a car needs the right fuel in order to run well, individuals need a regular intake of fresh fruit and vegetables to get the best out of their bodies, which in turn will support them in their day to day lives.
The programme is based on the premise of people consuming the 5 daily recommended portions of fruit and vegetables provides us with adequate nutrition, enhances our brain function, and that receiving enough food impacts positively on performance, health and behaviour. Therefore, coupled with our other 5 components the 5+5 a day covers the promotion of a holistic overview of leading a healthier and safer lifestyle. By collectively achieving these components into our daily routine we can protect not just ourselves, our NHS, and all other health services under enormous pressure. The recent Corona Virus has created unprecedented times for all of us around the world and I feel this is the ideal time to launch the pilot programme here.
An important milestone for Dome To Dish CIC was the founding of the 5+5 a day programme was the successful implementation of the climate change component. I incorporated the ‘dome to dish seed to feed’ programme with the other resources which will link them. Ultimately, my aim is to steer schools and the wider communities towards a form of certification. Therefore, schools, learning institutes and other participants will be awarded the use of the 5+5 a day trademark (accreditation). Which in turn, will be recognised as a membership to the collective registry of the movement and being recognised for the sustainable policies and practices they have in place.
Much needed resources will be provided to encourage and enable people in undertaking healthier and more eco sustainable practices in their day to day life, therefore, reducing our carbon footprint. During, the pilot programme in New Zealand, I was able to support individuals in doing this. I supplied my product (Mini Eden Projects); Eco Solar Geodesic Domes; to schools and community organisations. The recipients of the structures were in the low socio-economic schools and communities. Therefore, these areas of NZ became my test market.
My vision is to first have the programme running nationally in the UK in term time in 2020. My four year strategic plan is to have other countries register to become part of the 5+5 a day movement.
By encouraging young people and the wider communities to engage in the 5+5 a day and ‘mixing it up’ as part of their day to day activities will enable us to work towards protecting the environment and our physical and mental wellbeing. It starts in the classroom and will be extended to the wider communities. Therefore, fostering daily changes in our day to day life incorporating and challenging ourselves to achieve just more than consuming our 5 a day.
Benefits
Through this new programme young people and wider communities will have the opportunity to experience the sense of achievement at being able to explore and further implement environmental policies and the other key components in their schools and community. Taking up the challenge and the rewards will be collectively protecting our NHS. To ensure the longevity and sustainability and accessibility of the programme there will be tools and resources including; eBooks, websites and downloadable information.
By creating extra safe space for individuals during this time where everyone must socially distance themselves, the domes will be deemed advantageous and can be utilised for multiple purposes. They are literally ‘Plug Play and Plant’. More information on my unique product is available on request. The structures can be constructed in just two hours and with additional purpose made covers.
Furthermore, the pilot programme gave me the ability to gather data through our evaluation worksheets.
The 5+5 a day will be able to facilitate and sharing environmental and other ideas between participating institutions. These links provide an opportunity for schools to share environmental information, they can also be used as a means for cultural exchanges and for improving language skills.
5+5 a day ‘mix it up’ programme. Here is a brief overview.
The program promotes the five recommended daily intake of fruit and vegetables and the other five core components (see below) which will support communities in leading a ‘healthier and safer lifestyle’, therefore we provide a unique educational programme FREE for everyone:
- Hand Washing
- Mental Health
- Climate Change “dome to dish seed to feed program”
- Financial Literacy – (give, save, spend and borrow).
- Exercise – Nutrition – Obesity (‘kit bag project’)
As the saying goes “Give a man a fish feed him for a day” “Teach him how to fish you will feed him for Life”. Learning to grow their own food whilst also recognising climate change and the rapid way in which it is escalating. With the extended height in the dome, the children can explore learning around; Vertical Farming, and Aquaponics.
A Dome Village – Community Harvesting; Shelter for the homeless. To run initiatives that Nourish and Educate children, their families, and wider communities.
- To have pilot programmes running in 2020
- Have a presence in our first educational facility which will be the go to for other schools to visit and experience the program.
- To have developed a software package that supports the implementation of the programme.
- Program running in the first prison facility
When the program was run in New Zealand initial feedback shows that teachers and children were very receptive and children would participate in fun cooking classes where they are taught how to make quick, nutritious meals using produce from the dome therefore – 5+5 a day program teaches people how to grow organic and spray free produce all year round as part of caring for the environment and encourage sustainable living (see below).
Reasons:
Children and communities are being taught how to grow Organic and Spray free produce all year round inside the structure which uses no power just heat banks so its its totally sustainable and gentler on the environment and also teaching the children all aspects of all year round gardening. So, as well as teaching them how to eat healthier we will show them how to grow it for themselves, consume it at school, and even take some home to share with the family. This is going to be very beneficial in the lower decile areas, we feel this will be a huge community effort thus educating the wider community. It is important for both parents and children to understand why good nutrition is important and how small changes make a difference (see testimonials).
Environmental Sustainability All schools are required by government to have a range of environmental education policies and practices through which it aims at environmental education and how they can be met the dome can offer fantastic “Environmental Sustainability Education.
Practical Activity based learning the dome will also teach the children problem solving skills, language development. What is more at the Bethel Learning Institute they found that students retention rates were on average 5% following a class but rose to 75% when the students learned through practical activities.
Communication and Self Sufficiency Working on projects together enables students to learn to communicate with each other in order to complete tasks given to them. Even better the dome will provide children with skills at school they can replicate at home to their parents and siblings.
Environmental Sustainability Solution– A Geodesic Solar Dome Greenhouse. Dome To Dish’s solar dome can be used for many purposes across the curriculum many for growing school initiatives, food science technology ecology passive heating and horticultural studies is just to name a few.The program is; a multi-dimensional, environmentally sustainable, and practical activity based learning, incorporating problem solving skills and language development.
(see each components individual page)
