Monday 6 July 2026
Building Local Capacity to Deliver Healthy Cooking Education Across Loddon Campaspe
We’re thrilled to share that Bendigo Foodshare’s Cooking for Change program is expanding across Central Victoria.
We know that access to healthy meals is out of reach for many people in our region. That’s why we’re continuing to grow our work, supporting young people to build the skills and confidence to cook for themselves, their families and their community.
Over the past five years, Cooking for Change has delivered more than 116 sessions and engaged over 815 students across Greater Bendigo, Castlemaine and Pyramid Hill. Along the way, we’ve seen young people develop practical cooking skills, confidence in the kitchen and a stronger understanding of healthy eating.
Now, thanks to support from Healthy Loddon Campaspe and Campaspe Shire Council, we’re taking the next step in the program’s journey by expanding it into new communities through an innovative Train-the-Trainer model.
As part of this work, Bendigo Foodshare has developed a new Cooking for Change Trainer’s Manual and trained our first regional delivery partner, Echuca Regional Health. The goal is simple: build local capacity so more young people can access practical food education and healthy cooking programs close to home.
To showcase the program in action, Bendigo Foodshare and Echuca Regional Health recently joined forces at Echuca College.
Working alongside amazing Connect and VET students, the team prepared more than 150 nutritious meals that were distributed through Echuca Neighbourhood House to support local food relief efforts.
The day highlighted everything that makes Cooking for Change special. Students weren’t just learning recipes- they were developing practical life skills, working as a team and seeing the direct impact they could have on their community.
Everyone deserves dignified access to healthy food. By sharing the Cooking for Change model with organisations across the Loddon Campaspe region, we’re creating opportunities for more communities to build food skills, improve food literacy and strengthen local responses to food insecurity.
The partnership between Bendigo Foodshare, Healthy Loddon Campaspe, Echuca Regional Health, Echuca College and Bendigo Community Health Services demonstrates what’s possible when organisations come together around a shared goal: healthier communities and stronger local food systems.
We’re excited to see where this journey takes us next.
