A select band of local schools is helping pioneer cookery clubs as part of a regional drive to tackle child obesity.

The Healthier Cookery Clubs' project also aims to help cut the risks of youngsters developing serious illness.

Of the 42 participating North West schools, an eight-strong eclectic cluster' from South Lakeland is showing children how to cook healthy and tasty meals while increasing their awareness and understanding of the importance of a balanced diet, food hygiene and safety.

It is just one of eight different schemes being piloted across England under the £2.2 million Food in Schools programme, which embraces 500 schools and aims to develop a national school approach to promote healthy eating.

The participating local schools are Coniston; Cartmel Primary and Cartmel Priory; Levens Valley, at Backbarrow; Sandgate School, Kendal; Hawkshead; Langdale; and Dean Barwick, at Witherslack.

Sandgate special school is running a dining as well as an after-school cookery club working with Duke of Edinburgh scheme pupils from nearby Queen Katherine School.

At Dean Barwick, the plan is to build on the school's history of gardening and growing its own produce.

"The cookery club will provide opportunities for the children to follow recipes which make use of their own home-grown food," said head teacher of the 33-pupil school, Diane Holliday.

The Dean Barwick club runs every Thursday afternoon from 3.15-5pm under the expert guidance of trained chef Patrick Connor who was volunteered' for the task but is delighted to help.

"What I am trying to do is give the children some healthy options," said Patrick. "I also want to show them how to cook in a friendly and fun way."

Between now and the summer holidays, five groups of five or six children will take it in turns to work with Patrick. To date they have made paella, pasta bake, and fishcakes. When the Gazette visited the cookery club the young chefs were busy preparing bread rolls and leek and potato soup.

"The smells in school are fantastic and the children get to take home the food to share with their family," said Mrs Holliday.

Helping oversee South Lakeland's contribution to the cookery club project is Vivien Prendiville, the food and health adviser for Morecambe Bay Primary Care Trust. She told Food & Drink: "All the research suggests that it is the experience of food touching and tasting, for example - that makes a difference to children's eating habits. This is a wonderful opportunity for them to enjoy the pleasure of food."