DADS in Bradford will be cooking up healthy treats for their families - thanks to funding from Better Start Bradford.

The project's Parents in the Lead Activity Fund has awarded five more awards totalling more than £6,000 to community groups in the Bradford area of Bowling and Barkerend, Bradford Moor and Little Horton. So far 16 groups have received a total of more than £18,000.

One of the groups is Dishy Dads whose members will be rolling up their sleeves and embarking on a six-week course to learn how to cook healthy meals from scratch with their children at St John’s Bowling Hub.

David Brickman, Dishy Dads’ project co-ordinator, said: “We are looking forward to bringing together a group of Dads to cook healthy food together. The Dads will not only learn new skills, they will have fun cooking with their children and form a supportive network for each other in the community.”

Mums, grans, toddlers and babies are also set to benefit from Parents in the Lead with funding of £795. The intergenerational Mamas and Papas Lullabies project at Womenzone Community Centre in Hubert Street, off Leeds Road, will bring together older women and young mums with their under fours. The mums will learn lullabies from the older women’s heritage and culture, and together they will do craft activities, gardening and growing fruit and vegetables.

Gill Thornton, Better Start Bradford project manager, said: “It’s great to see dads, mums and grandparents embracing the opportunity the Parents in the Lead Awards fund gives them to put their project ideas into action.

"The fund really does ensure that parents and carers are leading on giving their children the best start in life.”

The Big Lottery-funded Better Start Bradford started Parents in the Lead Activity Fund earlier this year which is designed to help parents run activities for families expecting babies or with children aged under four in the Bowling and Barkerend, Bradford Moor and Little Horton areas.

Projects must be parent or grandparent-led and the project must benefit children under four and their parents. Projects must contribute towards social and emotional development, the development of communication and language, or improving nutrition and health.

The next deadline for applications for funding from Parents in the Lead is Thursday, November 30.

Go to the ‘our projects’ section at betterstartbradford.org.uk to find out more.