Balanced Meals, Not January Diets, was the theme of our 6-week project funded by the Hinkley Point Community Fund. January is the time when thousands of people start a new diet. But diets rarely work long term — and in some cases, they can even make us unwell. That is why we introduced Balanced Meals, Not January Diets. This was not another “January fad diet” destined to fail before the end of the month. Instead, the aim was to help families start the new year with a healthy

On Tuesday 27th January, 16 people aged 60+ gathered at Canalside for a motivational talk and to learn a fitness programme designed specifically for older adults. The evening started with a short presentation on NHS physical activity guidelines for older adults . The guidelines state: "Older adults should do some type of physical activity every day. It can help to improve your health and reducse the risk of heart disease and stroke. Adults aged 65 and over are advised to be

This January, we started the year with the January Walking Challenge. Thanks to funding from the Hinkley Point Community Fund, we ran a project to support Bridgwater families in building healthy habits for the year ahead. A total of 61 people signed up for the walking challenge. At the beginning of the month, participants set themselves a personal walking goal and committed to getting moving. Anyone who reached their goal was entered into a prize draw to win £30. The minimum

Nina is one of our true champions. She joined Live Naturally’s Walking Project in January 2025, which aimed to inspire residents in Bridgwater to become more active and improve their health through walking. Everyone who took part set themselves a personal goal for January — to quite literally walk their way into better health. Nina, however, decided to go one step further. Instead of setting a goal just for January, she set herself a goal for the entire year: to walk the equi

Gill is one of the happy participants from this autumn’s Healthy Eating Project, but she didn’t hesitate to sign up for the January Challenge—and here’s why: Despite knowing the importance of healthy eating, a balanced diet, and regular exercise, these good intentions can easily slip down the priority list in the busy rhythm of 2025. When both parents work, and children’s schoolwork, clubs and needs all require attention, fitting everything in can feel overwhelming. “Attendin

On Sunday at The Canalside, 75 people joined us for a festive pre-Christmas lunch—and once again we proved that Christmas food doesn’t need to be junk food. Participants enjoyed fresh, natural food beautifully presented in festive ways, including: Vegetables arranged as Christmas trees Tomatoes, mozzarella, and homemade pesto shaped into a festive “candy cone” Coleslaw and broccoli salad Homemade bread Eggs Natural yoghurt with grains, nuts, and seeds And of course, the star

One of the participants at the Sunday lunch at The Canalside was Deborah, a Practice Nurse in one of the local GP surgeries. She has attended several of our healthy eating courses this autumn, and she spoke warmly about the experience. Deborah shared how grateful she is that Hinkley Point Community Fund is supporting families in Bridgwater and the surrounding area. “It is so needed,” she said. “We are usually over booked every week. If more people used lifestyle changes as m

Tony was one of the enthusiastic guests who joined us at The Canalside for our Healthy Before-Christmas Lunch on Sunday. The tables were filled with nourishing foods: chicken legs, broccoli salad, homemade bread, a vegetable Christmas tree, Greek-style yoghurt, seeds, and fresh fruit. This is exactly the kind of food Tony wants to eat — fresh, natural meals instead of ultra-processed foods and excess sugar. Tony has already taken part in both our Walking Project and Healthy E

This autumn, we ran an inspiring Healthy Eating Project, fully funded by the Hinkley Point Community Fund. The project combined online learning, practical cooking sessions, and one-to-one support. One of the children who took part was Iris, who proudly completed the Eat Well Plate Challenge by eating 30 different plant foods and six different animal-based proteins. Her mum sent us a lovely photo after a trip to Morrisons to buy fresh fish — a moment that perfectly captures th

A few weeks ago, I sent an email to some of the people who had completed the Transform Your Life Through Fresh and Natural Food  project, asking if anyone would like to share an inspirational story. It is always so heart-warming when we receive stories back that truly show how much healthy eating matters. It doesn’t just make us feel a bit  better — it can be life-changing , especially when it comes to mental health. Below is an inspirational story from a young girl who wishe

This summer holiday has been incredible. With sunshine every day, it has been easy to promote a healthy lifestyle. Thanks to funding from SASP through the Happy Healthy Holidays programme, we were able to offer 160 spaces  for families on benefit-related free childcare. And thanks to funding from the Hinkley Point Community Fund , we provided another 160 spaces  for families not entitled to free school meals. This meant our courses and activities were open to everyone, and we

We absolutely love teaching children and young people where their food comes from and giving them hands-on experiences with growing, harvesting, and cooking real food. In the spring, we planted potatoes together, and by autumn it was finally time to harvest them. The excitement was incredible! Each single potato had grown into five to ten new potatoes , and the children loved digging them up, discovering what was hiding beneath the soil. This year our apple tree has also been

It was fantastic to team up with Xcelerate this summer and offer a mix of outdoor cooking and kayaking sessions for teenagers. What surprised and delighted us most was discovering just how many teenage boys and girls genuinely love  to cook. Once they got hands-on with the ingredients, their creativity really came alive. With our portable ovens and lightweight outdoor kitchen equipment, we were able to set up cooking stations anywhere — including by the lakeside. And the weat

We’re thrilled to announce that Maya is the lucky winner of this term’s Eat Well to Stay Well competition! 🎉 Yesterday, Maya proudly received her certificate and a £50 prize, which she can spend on anything she likes. The Eat Well to Stay Well project is funded by the Hinkley Point Community Fund to support families in Bridgwater in improving their physical and mental health through better eating habits. And it’s clear – it really works. When you eat better, you feel better.

This term, we’ve had the absolute pleasure of working with 315 children from Hamp Academy , 183 from Hamp Infants , and 47 from Hamp...

One of the participants in our recent 5K community fun run was Gilli, a remarkable woman who joined the event alongside her extended...

We all know that fresh fish is good for our health — and Enya, her mum, and her teacher can confirm it's absolutely true! Enya has taken...

It was amazing to see people of all ages walking in the sunshine 🌞 to wrap up our Easter Holiday Walking Challenge! 🥚🚶‍♀️ 85...

A huge thank you to Stream Farm for welcoming us on Thursday for a fantastic family fishing trip!  We had an absolutely amazing day...

At our family cooking and food tasting session at The Canalside on Wednesday, I showed the children a bowl of boiled green lentils and...

All the children attending the Happy, Healthy, Holiday Playscheme on Tuesday 08 April would definitely agree! One boy even exclaimed as...

All the families attending the Family Cooking Club at the Recreation Centre today agreed that tacos are both nutritious and delicious! 😋...

"Please can I have more fish! That was so delicious! I never knew fish was so nice." "I have never tasted pomegranates or cranberries...

The Canalside was buzzing with excitement as families came together to explore the Eat Well Guide  and learn how small changes in our...