MAKING food fun again is a message that a Bolton charity hopes will scoop it a £50,000 funding boost.

Salop Street-based Urban Outreach is bidding to be one of four charities the public chose to benefit from grants given by The People’s Millions.

The Lottery Fund and ITV Granada are pitting two charities from the region against each other on three successive nights this month. The three champions, along with the runner-up, will be given £50,000 to spend on their projects.

Homelessness and food bank charity Urban Outreach has used the competition to launch its Friends of Fun Food project, with their case set to air on Granada Reports on November 25.

A long-time dream of chief executive Dave Bagley, the project will see various community groups come together to rediscover a love for cooking and making tasty, healthy and affordable meals.

As part of a 90-second film clip to outline their case to the public, Mr Bagley and his team visited St Thomas’ Primary School in Halliwell, to showcase their concept to pupils.

He said: “I used to be a chef so I’ve always loved food but combining this with helping people appreciate the brilliance of it is something I’ve wanted to do for years. Behind every ingredient is an adventure waiting to happen and we want to return to the days of using fresh food, in season, to cook great meals together, rather than relying on cheap packaged food.

“Bolton has so many people skilled at cooking great things but there is no avenue for them to share this ability with others.

Mr Bagley addressed an assembly at St Thomas’ with pupils shouting their support for the project en masse for the benefit of the television cameras.

Six lucky children were chosen to make some treats to taste with the fruit smoothies and fruit kebabs dipped in chocolate or syrup readily gobbled up.

After proving naturals in front of the camera, the children gave glowing reports.

Scott Knowles, aged 10, said: “It was great and you really learn how just basic fruits can make lots of different things.” Chaltu Ali, aged 10, said: “Eating the fruit kebabs with chocolate was great as all the tastes of different fruits were together.”

Vote for Urban Outreach only on November 25 with the number released at 6am that day. For more details go to visit urbanoutreach.co.uk/friendsoffunfood