THEY hail from different backgrounds and cultures. Yet they are united by their enthusiasm to learn about food.

This group of 10 dads probably didn't know each other before embarking on the appropriately named 'Dads' Cooking Course' - believed to be the first of its kind at Jamie's Ministry of Food in Bradford.

Mums tend to be the ones who chat at the school gate while waiting to drop-off or collect their children, but this course aims to get fathers together and engage them more with their children's education.

With the weighty issue of obesity never far from the headlines, learning how to prepare healthy meals is a vital lesson in life for us all.

Launched two weeks ago, the course is the brainchild of Mohammed Sohail, a parental involvement worker at Westminster Primary school in Bradford.

Mohammed explains that the idea behind setting up the eight-week course, in partnership with Community Works children's centre in Bradford, was to educate the 10 fathers involved in how to prepare and cook healthy meals as part of the school's overall programme to increase parental involvement.

Educating youngsters to eat healthily would also help in the battle against obesity. Mohammed explains that having read about the work of Jamie's Ministry of Food in the Telegraph & Argus, he decided to enquire about setting up a course specifically for dads.

MORE BEHIND THE NEWS HEADLINES

"It is a lot better for families because, at the end of the day, if you eat healthily you have a healthy mind. It helps with education as well," he says.

He says he hopes the course will also help to foster greater relationships between the school and parents too.

"We have got fathers from different backgrounds. We have got some fathers from Pakistan, some from Eastern Europe and it is building community cohesion," explains Mohammed.

"They learn to cook omelettes and soups, chicken fajitas. It is really good and we have had a good response from quite a few of the mums saying they are getting fed a lot more often!"

"They are also asking when they can go to the cooking course."

Mohammed says the course also develops confidence, adding that the dads are eager to learn and pass on the skills to their families.

"It makes sense for them to do it for their children at home," he adds. "It also builds relationships between fathers and their children as well because they are seeing them getting involved with the cooking."

Rob Freeth, headteacher at Westminster Primary School, says: "For me it's about working with families because we think the best way to achieve the best for our children is to get their parents to engage with the school and to feel they are partners with the school."

He says as well as developing closer links with the school, the course is encouraging dads to get more involved in the kitchen.

Rob quotes an example of one father who, after learning how to make omelettes on the course, involved his children in replicating the meal at home.

"They are trying to break down the stereotypes that men don't cook - particularly in some of the cultures, a lot of fathers would not have normally been expected to cook," says Rob.

Creating healthy, nutritious meals for their children, is another important element of the programme.

"These are really good nutritious tasty meals you can make. They are also very healthy," says Rob.

Based on the positive response they have received so far from the participants, Rob says they hope to run another course.

"It is part of our overall programme to engage families in working with their children, looking positively at school, being positive about learning because it is central to all of this as well," he says.

"Part of our school ethos is we want to be a school that is central to our community. We achieve the best for our children if we work in partnership with families," adds Rob.

Soraya Overend, manager of Jamie's Ministry of Food in Bradford, says while they have previously run parent groups it is the first time they have had a course involving fathers from different communities.

She says as well as encouraging fathers to take an interest in food and getting them involved in cooking for the family, the course is also beneficial to their social skills, helping them to integrate with other communities.

"The social aspect is amazing. It is massive. It is about making bonds and bringing people together and food is massive for that. It is a good stepping stone to bring people together," concludes Soraya.

UPDATE 4/4/18: The image originally used with this article has been removed at the request of one of those pictured.